3
THIS BOOK IS YOURS! Written with love and dedication by Roger Casco Herrera, this apologetic book titled: “His NAME 3: Wind of Doctrine, questions crying out for answers: Unveiling the Judaizing arguments of today” is completely free. The cover was created with the free version of Adobe’s Firefly AI. Translation from English to Spanish with Bing-ChatGPT AI. You can print it and give it away for non-commercial purposes without prior authorization. You can also copy its content, as long as the original idea is respected and not manipulated. If you decide to share its content, please, do not forget to reference the author and this book. We ask you to respect the download link and not to re-upload the book to other servers. This helps us maintain the integrity of the book and ensure that all readers have access to the most updated version. Enjoy it, share it, and let it inspire you. November 7, 2023
WIND OF DOCTRINE Efesios 4:14-15 (KJV)
“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
HAVE YOU NOT YET READ THE ‘HIS NAME’ BOOK SERIES? Free Download: link (only in Spanish)
"His Name: Jesus or Yeshua? and His Name 2: Jehovah or Yahweh? are the first installments of this Christian apologetics series, considered works of biblical and theological scholarship by specialized critics.
We suggest reading the first volumes before starting the present text for a complete understanding. Download and share them.
Visit https://librosunombre.blogspot.com
Table of
CONTENTS Introduction 03
Answers: Why don’t we keep the Sabbath? 08 Do we need to be circumcised to be saved? 15 Should we celebrate the Biblical Feasts? 20 Are we forbidden to eat pork? 23 Should we use the Hebrew names? 27
Author 29
A Call to Generosity 30
Introduction
JUDAIZING WIND OF DOCTRINE In Ephesians 4, Paul emphasizes the importance of unity and maturity in the Church. He talks about living worthily, maintaining the unity of the Spirit, and using the gifts given by Christ to build up the body of Christ. He warns against being influenced by false doctrines. The phrase “wind of doctrine” is used to describe the false and deceptive teachings that can divert the course of each believer’s boat that sails through faith in a vast, wide, and deep ocean, because it is very easy to lose the route of the true Gospel while we navigate. The full verse says: (4:14) “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
3
The metaphor of the wind suggests that these teachings can change quickly like the waves, subtle, difficult to resist, to navigate and can even sink some boats. Therefore, the Spirit of God through the apostle encourages us to mature in our faith, to intend to understand the person of Christ and his Gospel, so that we are not easily influenced by satanic teachings.
Throughout history, many waves have hit the Church: Ebionism,
Docetism,
Apollinarianism,
Cerinthianism,
Nestorianism,
Sabellianism,
Monophysitism,
Monothelitism, Adoptionism, Gnosticism, Arianism, Pelagianism,
Rationalism,
and
Liberalism,
among
others. Some could not stay on the only safe route that leads to God. Heresies emerged from the beginning and will continue to surface. We have faced countless sects and religions that are man’s answer to the dilemma of sin, but also the enemy’s strategy to blind understanding.
4
The First Judaizers in the Bible In the first century AD, the first Judaizers emerged in the early Church. They were Jews who had accepted Jesus as the Messiah, but still retained some Judaic traditions.
They
asserted
that
circumcision
and
observance of the Mosaic law were necessary for the salvation of the Gentiles. The Judaizers were one of the first groups to challenge the doctrine of the early Church, asserting that it was necessary to be Jewish to be saved.
The Judaizing Reappearance in Our Days The Christian Judaizing movement reappeared within the Seventh Day Church of God in the 1930s. Pastor Clarence Dodd began to teach the importance of returning to the ‘Hebrew roots’ and the use of the original Hebrew names in the Christian faith. After leaving the church, Dodd founded the ‘Sacred Name Movement’. Despite the numerous divisions they suffered, many of their teachings and congregations have survived.
5
Judaizing teachings continue to influence and confuse Christian believers, especially those dissatisfied with the current institutionalized church. In them, they find something revitalizing, familiar; but at the same time new and seductive that something authentic and closer to the original church exists. However, their fruit makes them separatists from Christianity.
The Judaizing sect is apostate, heretical, blasphemous, anathema, and full of ‘Jewish impostors’, they are the “New Galatians”.
Galatians is the apology of the Apostle Paul for those who are being seduced by the Judaizers. I have seen with my own eyes dozens of King James Version (KJV) Bibles, which are still being used by some ‘Judaized Christians’, their false rabbi has forbidden them the study of Galatians and Hebrews, some chapters in Acts, Romans, Colossians, and Philippians, so they have eliminated them from their Bibles.
6
In the first volumes of the ‘HIS NAME’ series, we delved into the aforementioned topics, and answered many questions about the holy names, but the time has come to face other questions that circulate in this wind of doctrine, questions that cry out for answers, which compel us to unveil the Judaizing arguments.
In the following pages, you will find an exhaustive analysis of the Judaizing teachings and the questions they use to confuse others. This analysis will help you understand and respond. I hope my effort is well received. I will strive to be objective and simple to guide others to find their own conclusions, according to the doctrine of Christ.
7
Answers
WHY DON’T WE KEEP THE SABBATH? JUDAIZERS: God designated the Sabbath as the Day of Rest. Christians are wrong to observe Sunday as their day of rest, this goes against what God established.
RESPONSE: To whom did He give the Sabbath as a Day of Rest and a perpetual statute? Biblically, only to Israel and no one else.
Exodus 31:16-17 (KJV) “Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout
their
generations,
for
a
perpetual
covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.”
8
The ‘Sabbath Day’ was born in Genesis 2:2-3, and exists before Abraham, Moses, or Israel. According to Mark 2:27, “the Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” In other words, our Creator did not rest because He was exhausted from His work (Isaiah 40:28), but because He had completed His work: the universe and man. However, according to Isaiah 1:14, God shows Himself tired of our hypocrisies. Do you think God is sitting on His throne doing nothing? On the contrary, He continues to work to carry out His plan. Jesus affirmed: “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working” (John 5:17), underlining that God backed Him to perform miracles even on the Sabbath.
God shared the Sabbath with Israel because they did not know what ‘rest’ was, both physically and spiritually. After being freed from a long slavery in Egypt, they continued with the mentality of slaves, not as free men. God had the task of reeducating them to transform them into a holy nation.
9
In the time of Jesus, Jewish religious leaders had a misunderstanding of the Sabbath Law. It is true that, like today, they reserved the day and believe that they should not do any physical work, not even daily activities. Jesus pointed out this error on several occasions (such as in Matthew 12:1-4, Luke 13:10-17…), and criticized their hypocrisy for being willing to help an animal in need during the Sabbath, but opposing people being healed.
Luke 14:5-6 (KJV) “And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? And they could not answer him again to these things.” 10
Sunday as a Day of Rest Acts 15 is very important, removed from some RVR1960 Bibles that some Judaizers still use. This chapter provides historical evidence of how dangerous their teachings can be.
Paul and Barnabas were summoned before the ‘council’ in Jerusalem due to a serious theological conflict. Barnabas had been seduced by the Judaizers, who had previously persuaded Peter with their teachings, according to Acts 11:2 and Galatians 2. After a deep debate, James shared the conclusion that ended this Judaizing conflict:
Acts 15:28-29 (KJV) “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; (29) That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”
11
What happened to the Sabbath Day? Why did the council not mention the Sabbath if it was so important? Why did the Church in Jerusalem, mostly composed of Jews, begin to observe Sunday as a day of rest? The answer is simple, yet complex. They understood that the prophecies had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Galatians 3:28-29 (KJV) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29) And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The new creation in Christ is not subject to the law but to grace. We are ‘new creatures’ (2 Corinthians 5:17), no longer neither Jews nor Gentiles, but he made one of both peoples, according to Ephesians 2:14. We enter into the true rest of God in Jesus Christ, he is our rest. Thanks to Him any day can be a worship to God, or live every day consecrated seeking His presence. 12
Sunday? Jesus died on the Feast of Passover (14th of Nisan) and, after three days and three nights, He resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits, a Sunday (18th of Nisan), according to John 20:1-2.
Acts 20:7 (KJV) And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
Therefore, Sunday, being the first day of the week, also began to be known as the “Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10). This day was considered by the apostles as the best to remember the resurrection, and seek the glory of God.
Revelation 1:10 (KJV) I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.
13
By the second century, Sunday had already been established as the day of commemoration of the Lord’s resurrection. The writings of Justin Martyr, Dionysius of Corinth, and Irenaeus of Lyon evidence that the custom of meeting on Sunday to worship the risen Lord
was
already
rooted.
Although
there
were
‘Messianic congregations’ (composed of legitimate Jews who believe in Jesus/Yeshua) that continued to meet on Saturdays, the observance of Sunday had become a tradition in the early church from the era of the apostles. For example, Ignatius, a disciple of the apostle
John,
mentioned
in
his
epistle
to
the
Magnesians that they no longer observed the Sabbath, but lived according to Sunday, the day when their life resurged with the resurrection. And so we come to our days with Sunday. This tradition of observing Sunday has endured throughout the centuries, uniting believers
in
the
commemoration
of
the
Lord’s
resurrection. Every Sunday, we unite in spirit to honor this gift of love and grace.
14
Answers
DO WE NEED TO BE CIRCUMCISED TO BE SAVED? JUDAIZERS: Christians must be circumcised to be saved. Salvation comes from the Jews.
RESPONSE: First, circumcision is unnecessary for salvation; and second, it has no spiritual value in Christ for Christians.
Acts 15:1-2 (KJV) And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
After resolving the conflict (Acts 15:24-29), the Church ordered Paul and Barnabas to go together to explain to the other congregations (Gentile Christians in Cyprus, Pamphylia, and South Galatia), to which they had 15
arrived at the twisted teachings, which only disturbed the faith and did not have the support of the apostles. Thus began the Judaizing end in the Early Church.
Circumcision Does Not Save Anyone Romans 4 is a masterful refutation by the Apostle Paul. A spiritual, profound, and solid argument:
Romans 4:9-12 (KJV) “Cometh this blessedness then upon
the
circumcision
only,
or
upon
the
uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. (10) How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision?
Not
in
circumcision,
but
in
uncircumcision. (11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: (12) And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father 16
Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.”
Paul enlightens us by explaining that Abraham was not saved by being circumcised. The answer is that faith is the only thing that counts for salvation. Abraham was considered righteous by his faith in God before he even thought about being circumcised. He was circumcised as a sign of his faith in God, but it was not circumcision that made him righteous before God. It was his faith. That is why Abraham is the father of all believers, whether they are circumcised or not.
Who dares to say that Abraham was not a righteous man of faith before but only after he was circumcised?
17
Circumcision Holds No Spiritual Value for Christians
Colossians 2:9-11 (KJV) “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (11) In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.”
Paul speaks that Christians are circumcised in Christ not physically but spiritually through their faith. Physical circumcision is not necessary for salvation. In verse 17, Paul adds that all practices and rituals, such as feasts, the Sabbath, and circumcision, were signs that pointed towards Christ. He is the totality and prophetic
fulfillment
of
them.
They
were
only
‘shadows’ that disappeared by his light. Therefore, Christians do not need to be circumcised; and even less, Christian women need ablation.
18
Paul
warns
that
the
Christian
who
undergoes
circumcision for spiritual purposes would simply be “mutilating his body”:
Philippians 3:2-3 (KJV) “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. (3) For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
19
Answers
SHOULD WE CELEBRATE THE BIBLICAL FEASTS? JUDAIZERS: Christians have lost their connection with the Messiah by not celebrating the Biblical Feasts. They do not understand their prophetic symbolism, so they speak of what they do not comprehend. Likewise, they do not understand our connection with the Jewish roots of our faith.
RESPONSE: I know it will vary depending on the individual
beliefs
and
theological
views
of
the
Christian denomination to which you belong.
I think that if you love Jesus Christ, the only way to understand
everything
about
him
in
the
New
Testament is by studying all those ‘shadows’ of the Old Testament,
present
in
the
biblical
feasts
that
announced him. For example, his birth is associated 20
with the theories of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) or the Feast of Lights (Hanukkah). His death and resurrection undoubtedly occurred on the Feast of Passover (Pesach), Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) was surpassed by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. The promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled on the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot). In addition, the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) is seen as a sign of his return, etc.
I agree that, under the light of Christ, many of these symbols were fulfilled, so we are not obligated to observe them as our own feasts and rituals. However, the exegetical study of these festivities is enriching for his
disciples.
Nevertheless,
it
is
important
to
remember that this study should be carried out with the aim of understanding how they were fulfilled in Christ. If we lose this focus and stop focusing on Him, who is the author and finisher of our faith, we run the risk of falling into the deviation of the Judaizing wind.
21
As Christians, we should not and cannot celebrate the biblical feasts. Today, no biblical feast can be celebrated for two main reasons: the absence of a Holy Temple in Jerusalem and the fact that these feasts must be celebrated exclusively in Jerusalem. Pious Jews choose to ‘commemorate’ these feasts instead of celebrating them. Despite their attempts, they
cannot
meet
the
biblical
and
rabbinic
requirements for a true celebration. This is reflected in their famous phrase coined at the end of every Jewish ceremony around the world: ‘Next year in Jerusalem, the reconstruction.’
In conclusion, the biblical feasts are part of the history and prophecy that reveal to us Jesus as the Messiah and Savior. As Christians, we can study them and learn from them, but we are not obligated to celebrate them as if they were our own. Our celebration is Christ himself, who is the center and fulfillment of all things.
22
Answers
ARE WE FORBIDDEN TO EAT PORK? JUDAIZERS: According to the teachings of God, our wise creator, in the Old Testament, pork is not fit for human consumption. God, in his infinite wisdom, knows what is best for man’s health, and by abstaining from eating pork, Christians could avoid various diseases.
RESPONSE: Indeed, God did not forbid Adam to eat from any animal. Instead, he did forbid him to eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In Genesis 9:1-4 God said to Noah: (3) “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” However, he forbade him to consume the meats with its life, that is, with blood.
23
Neither Adam and his sons, nor Noah and his sons, were forbidden to eat from every living being after the flood. However, in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, the consumption of certain animals was forbidden to the Hebrew people who were wandering in the desert, some of them are:
Mammals: camel, horse, dog, rabbit, pig; Birds: eagles, crows, ostrich, owl, hawks, swan, pelican, vulture, stork,
and
bat;
Marine
animals:
shrimps
and
octopuses.
The ‘laws of kashrut’ are part of the commandments delivered on Mount Sinai. These laid the foundations to define and preserve the unique identity of the Hebrew people among the other Canaanite peoples. Most of these animals were dedicated to the idols of the region. These laws had practical benefits to promote the health and hygiene of the Hebrews being in the desert. As well as to reeducate their minds from slavery to being a people of free and civilized men on their way to the Promised Land. 24
It is essential to understand that the meats of ‘animals considered
unclean’,
including
pork,
are
not
intrinsically harmful. As with any type of food, whether it be meat from animals considered pure or not, it is crucial to consume them in moderation and ensure that they are properly cooked. Avoiding the sin of gluttony is fundamental to prevent possible adverse consequences. The Hebrew diet was specific to that group in its particular historical and cultural context, and does not apply to Christians today.
Finally, Acts 10, pays special attention to Peter’s vision in verses 9 to 16. It is part of a larger passage in which Peter has a vision of a sheet full of unclean animals and is told to kill and eat. Peter refuses. Then he is told: “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common”
(Acts
10:15
KJV).
Let’s
consider
the
interpretation that the laws of kashrut are no longer applicable to the new creatures in Christ.
25
Acts 15:19-20 (KJV) “Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.”
Regarding the diet of Christians, it is clear that all ‘new creatures’ in faith do not need to strictly adhere to the Kashrut diet. Instead, they have Noah’s expanded diet, which urges us to abstain from eating foods dedicated to idols, strangled and living animals.
CLARIFICATION: Mark 7:19 is not evidence of a change in diet, to do so would be to commit an inaccuracy. In its
biblical
context,
Jesus
is
talking
about
the
importance of what comes out of a person’s heart rather than what goes into their mouth. Jesus says: “Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught” (Mark 7:19 KJV). He was not nullifying dietary laws, but teaching a spiritual lesson about the purity of the heart.
26
Answers
SHOULD WE USE THE HEBREW NAMES? JUDAIZERS: Christians have lost the true identity of the Messiah and the Eternal by not referring to them by their sacred Hebrew names: ‘Yahweh, Yeshua’. The names they commonly use (Jehovah, Jesus) are considered deviations from divine truth.
RESPONSE: (If you want to delve into this topic, the answer is in the first and second volume of the book ‘His Name’.) It is important to summarize the following, the name of God, יהוה, that is ‘YHVH’ (or YHWH
in
English),
does
not
have
a
known
pronunciation with certainty. Although there are several explanations, like the fantastic one that suggests it is pronounced like a breath, these are not definitive. Simply, we do not know how it is pronounced. 27
On the other hand, Jesus was Jewish and, as such, was born and grew up in that context. His given name is ‘Yeshua’ ()ישוע. Understand that, with ancient biblical records of the Old Testament in Hebrew and Aramaic; and of the New Testament in Greek, the role of biblical translators was to offer us its equivalence in our language. So if you want to call Jesus (Ιησούς) as ‘Yeshua’, that’s perfectly fine. However, what is not appropriate is to discredit its equivalents in different idiomatic or linguistic expressions. In other words, the name ‘Jesus’ in English: Jesus, French: Jésus, Italian:
イエス , Korean: 예수, Arabic: عيسى, Simplified Chinese: 耶稣 , Hindi: यीशु, … Gesù, Russian: Иисус, Japanese:
are all ‘correct and accepted transliterations’ of the proper
name,
and
although
they
are
different
phonetics and spellings, we are still talking about the same person, the same Jew Jesus of Nazareth, and they retain in these equivalences the essence of his Hebrew name and its spiritual power. Do not let them deceive you!
28
Evangelical pastor, prophetic minister, missionary, church planter, and family man. In 2008, he had the opportunity to accompany a mission to Israel, an experience that deeply enriched his understanding of biblical prophecies. His unwavering commitment to spreading the Gospel of Christ led him to write the book ‘His NAME: Jesus or Yeshua?’, which is considered a work of apologetic scholarship, according to the praises of specialized criticism. Likewise, he has earned the reputation of being ‘public enemy #1’ of the Judaizing movement in his country.
With
from Honduras
“Gratitude and Blessings”
A CALL TO GENEROSITY Dear reader,
This book is our third gift to you, and my hope is that you find in it the guidance and comfort you are seeking. However, if you feel in your heart the desire to support our cause and help us continue with this work, we invite you to make an offering through PayPal to rcascoherrera@outlook.com
But beyond any monetary donation, your support and your prayers are our greatest treasure.