The Pristine Faith Restoration Society

sermonindex May 21, 2005

Thru this forum I stumbled onto a website, the Pristine Faith Restoration Society. and there's something that just doesn't sit right with me about what I'm reading here: specifically on this page:http://www.pfrs.org/jewish/hr08.htmlLimiting the words of Jesus and the Apostles to a Jewish culture and to Jewish thought is to limit the Son of God to human ideologies! It is to make Jesus out to be just another “radical rabbi.” The message of the New Testament transcends the Jewish and Greek cultures! Sure the writers of the New Testament were Jewish. But they used language and explanations understood by common folk, in the common language of the Roman Empire, Greek. Sure, there are uniquely “Jewish” expressions and ideas found in the words of Jesus. After all, He was Jewish, speaking to those of the Jewish culture.for that matter, the message of the Old Testament transcends and IS global, but as I grew up believing AS A JEW, was that the concept of monotheism was first planted by God among the children of Abraham.In this article, the writer, Tim Warner, seems very intent on denying that the majority of the theology within the Church was Jewish in root, and there is underlying brittle antagonism towards the Jews. I've smelt this before, it does exist, and I have to ask, does anybody here among the scholars know who these people are?

ReceivedText May 21, 2005

Tim Warner is the founder and administrator of the site. Here is his bio:Tim Warner was raised in the Plymouth Brethren Assemblies. He was born again in 1975. He has been a serious student of the Bible for over 25 years, a student of early Church history for more than 15 years, and a student of Biblical Greek for about 5 years. Tim has taught pre-millennial post-tribulationism and the essentials of progressive dispensationalism since the mid 1980s. He was ordained in an Independent Baptist Church in 1992. Tim is the founder of The Pristine Faith Restoration Society, a group of dedicated Christians determined to research and promote the beliefs and practices of pristine Christianity. Tim is the author of three self-published books. The contents of these books are now included among the more than 160 articles he has written for The Last Trumpet and PFRS Websites. Some of Tim's writings have been translated into Russian, Greek, Spanish, French, and Swedish. His material has been used to train pastors and missionaries in Viet Nam, India, and Russia. Tim's articles on Bible prophecy have appeared in foreign Christian magazines, and a California newspaper. Tim's works have been referenced in scholarly papers, and he was a featured speaker at the Pensacola Post-Trib Prophecy Conference. Tim currently teaches at Westgate Christian Church in Tampa, Florida. To find out what PFRS is all about just go to their home page and read their welcome and click on the links at the bottom of the welcome. Here it is again:http://www.pfrs.org/index.htmlThey have quite a big section on Jewish Roots Movement. I have links to the whole thing on my site. I think he does a great job explaining himself. If you take him in context, he is not downplaying the value of Hebrew Messianic essentials. He is contending against those in the Messianic movement and the SDA that are having much success today binding the church to the law of Moses. Something that was clearly decided against in the first Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. While the Hebrew Scriptures are essential for our learning, the Talmud, Midrash, etc. are not. These traditions of the Jews are what Jesus said made the word of God of none effect.The traditions of the apostles on the other hand are to be cherished by the church and handed down."Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." - 2 Thessalonians 2:15 This is the goal of the PFRS. I can't say that I agree with them at every point, but I believe their methodology is sound.Blessings,RT

philologos May 21, 2005

Thru this forum I stumbled onto a website, the Pristine Faith Restoration Society. and there's something that just doesn't sit right with me about what I'm reading here: specifically on this page:I have had a quick look. They seem to be group who are prepared to re-think issues. I have a good bit of sympathy with their concern over the modern Hebrew Roots movement. I suspect it will be judaizing by the back door. I don't think they are anti-semitic; they have a link to Westgate Christian Church which has pictures of a Passover Seder. I am not anti-semitic either but I regard the the Church as the body of the New Man. I smell no 'antagonisim' towards the Jews; only a suspicion of the Hebrew Roots movement which I share.They seem to want to add the sub-apostolic period to the canon in some measure. This is becoming quite popular in some circles. They have rediscovered what they think is authentic history of the sub-apostolic period. My own view is that the sub-apostolic fathers show all the trends that led to Rome's monopoly.On the basis on this historic perspective they have added 'immersion' as a condition to salvation. I will pop in again and see if I can discover more.