Question what you believe that has nothing to do with Christ. Paul said, he doesn’t want anything preached but Christ.
“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)
“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…” (2 Corinthians 4:5)
For Paul, anything that diluted, added to, or competed with the sufficiency of Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection was a “different gospel” (Galatians 1:6-9).
The early Christian councils addressed the “Judaizer” movement primarily at the
Council of Jerusalem (c. AD 48–50), where it was decided that Gentile converts did not have to observe most of the Mosaic Law, particularly circumcision. The “Hebrew Roots Movement” (HRM) and some streams of “Messianic Judaism” are considered by mainstream Christians not to be Christian (or to hold heretical views) because they insist on adherence to the Old Covenant Law for all believers, which is seen as a rejection of salvation by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ.
Early Christian Councils and the Judaizer Movement
The primary conflict with the Judaizers, who insisted that Gentile converts must be circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law to be saved, was resolved as follows:
• Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15, Galatians 2): This foundational council, attended by apostles like Paul, Peter, and James, definitively ruled that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by adherence to the Mosaic Law.
• The Apostolic Decree: The council issued a compromise (Acts 15:28-29), requesting Gentile believers to abstain from a few specific practices to maintain unity and facilitate fellowship with Jewish Christians:
• Food sacrificed to idols
• Blood
• Meat of strangled animals
• Sexual immorality (fornication)
• Theological Basis: The decision, guided by the Holy Spirit, affirmed that God had given the Holy Spirit to Gentiles without requiring the Law, purifying their hearts by faith. The Mosaic Law was described by Peter as a “yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10).
• Later Councils and Writings: Subsequent Church Fathers and regional councils (e.g., Council of Laodicea, c. 365) continued to condemn “Judaizing” practices among Christians, such as observing the Sabbath on Saturday or Jewish fasts and feasts, associating them with a return to an abrogated covenant and a rejection of Christ’s sufficient work.
Why the “Hebrew Roots Movement” and Some “Messianic Judaism” Streams Are Not Considered Christian
Mainstream Christianity generally views the Hebrew Roots Movement and certain streams of Messianic Judaism as outside the bounds of orthodox Christian faith for several key theological reasons:
• Salvation by Works: A core tenet of historic Christianity is that salvation is a free gift of God’s grace received through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by human effort or adherence to the Law (Ephesians 2:8-9). These movements often imply or explicitly teach that observing the Torah (Sabbath, dietary laws, feasts, etc.) is either necessary for salvation or a required aspect of the Christian life, which mainstream Christianity considers a fundamental error or “different gospel”.
• Rejection of New Covenant Theology: Mainstream Christianity holds that the Old Covenant ceremonial laws were fulfilled in Christ and are no longer binding on all believers. Groups that insist on universal Torah observance are seen as rejecting the New Covenant established by Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection.
• Denial of Core Doctrines: Some elements within the Hebrew Roots Movement in particular question or deny foundational Christian doctrines such as the Trinity, the divinity of Christ, and the authority of the Greek New Testament text, sometimes viewing Jesus merely as a human prophet. These non-trinitarian or heterodox Christological views are a significant point of divergence from historic Christian orthodoxy.
• Authority of the Scripture and Tradition: While some Messianic Jews aim to blend Jewish heritage with mainstream Protestant theology, the more extreme Hebrew Roots groups often minimize or ignore the letters of the Apostle Paul, which explicitly address and refute the Judaizer position, or they reinterpret New Testament passages to fit a Torah-observant framework.
• Legalism vs. Gratitude: Mainstream Christians believe good works and obedience flow from a transformed life out of gratitude for salvation, whereas the practices in these movements are often perceived as a return to legalism that places a “heavy yoke” on believers.
The core issue Paul had with the Judaizers was that they were preaching Christ Plus.
· They said, “You must believe in Jesus AND be circumcised according to the Law of Moses to be saved.”
· Paul’s response was that this “plus” made Christ insufficient. If following the Jewish law could save you, then “Christ died for nothing” (Galatians 2:21).
This same “Christ Plus” framework is why many Christian theologians and denominations view the Hebrew Roots Movement and some streams of Messianic Judaism with caution or consider them to be in error. The “plus” is the requirement to observe the Torah (Sabbath, kosher laws, etc.) as essential for righteousness or salvation.
So, What Does Have “Nothing to Do with Christ”?
Based on Paul’s teaching, we can identify a few categories of beliefs and practices that can be questioned if they shift focus away from Christ alone:
National or Ethnic Identity: Beliefs that subtly tie God’s blessing primarily to a specific nation or ethnic group can risk overshadowing the universal Lordship of Christ. In Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Gentile” (Galatians 3:28) in terms of access to God.
Salvation by Works of the Law: This is the primary one. Any teaching that says your standing before God is secured by your adherence to a specific dietary code, festival calendar, or ritual act (like circumcision), rather than by God’s grace through faith in Christ, is adding to the gospel.
Cultural and Traditional Elevation: When human traditions (whether they are 200 or 2000 years old) are elevated to the same level of authority as the scripture or are treated as essential for being a “true” Christian, they can obscure the simplicity of Christ. Paul fought against this when Jewish customs were forced on Gentile believers.
Author
kay.alli@legalview.co.uk