This week I posted on the Modern Hebrew-Speaking Jew Fallacy, at least that is what I call it. A reader from Israel chimed in with the following.
Hi Alan,
Timely post this one. Living out here [Israel] I see this exact same thing quite a bit. While being a Hebrew speaker can give you a head start in learning and understanding biblical Hebrew, there are enough significant grammatical and syntactical differences that you can actually trip you and make you veer off course off into error if you don’t have a grasp of sound hermeneutics -and sadly that happens a lot out here.
Cardinal errors that we have seen here are: anachronistic back-reading of Modern Hebrew definitions into biblical words, decontextualisation, lexical fallacies galore, reading Rabbinic theologies into biblical passages, and finally, wholesale allegorical interpretation that would make Origen beam with pride. Much of this is touted under the heading of unique “Jewish” insights, or “because we’re Israelis we have a unique and better perspective on the Bible”. There is also a certain attitude among some of my fellow Israeli believers, that “we don’t need all that western theology stuff because we’re Israelis” as well, which is also very dangerous.
When you throw into this toxic mix the mysticism and hypercharismania of the New Apostolic Reformation which is very strong over here, you have a big problem, because all this bad theology and unhinged hermeneutical madness is marketed under the banner of insights from the “restored apostolic Jewish Messianic leadership of the Church” and as the “word of the Lord going forth from Zion.” Here’s a short example (5 minutes) of a “restored apostolic” interpretation of Rev. 4:1.
Blessings
