2 Corinthians 11:14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.


This is a response to Candace Curry's article "Why My family Celebrates Passover" found here - https://candeerue.com/2016/04/09/why-my-family-celebrates-passover/

The mentioned article promotes the heresy and legalism of the Hebrew Roots movement. You can see this by the false doctrine promoted in the article, website- Candeerue.com and HoshannahRabbah.org. The Hebrew Roots movement seems biblically sound but is not. It dilutes the gospel.


There are many sects of the Hebrew Roots movement but the core foundation that defines this heretical movement is "their assumption  that the Church has lost its Jewish roots and is unaware that Jesus and His disciples were Jews living in obedience to the Torah. For the most part, those involved advocate the need for every believer to walk a Torah-observant life. This means that the ordinances of the Mosaic Covenant must be a central focus in the lifestyle of believers today as it was with the Old Testament Jews of Israel. Keeping the Torah includes keeping the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week (Saturday), celebrating the Jewish feasts and festivals, keeping the dietary laws, avoiding the "paganism" of Christianity (Christmas, Easter, etc.), and learning to understand the Scriptures from a Hebrew mindset. They teach that Gentile Christians have been grafted into Israel, and this is one reason every born-again believer in Jesus the Messiah is to participate in these observances. It is expressed that doing this is not required out of legalistic bondage, but out of a heart of love and obedience. However, they teach that to live a life that pleases God, this Torah-observant walk must be part of that life. The Hebrew Roots assemblies are often made up of a majority of Gentiles, including Gentile rabbis. Usually they prefer to be identified as "Messianic Christians." Many have come to the conclusion that God has "called" them to be Jewish and have accepted the theological position that the Torah (Old Testament law) is equally binding on Gentiles and Jews alike. They often wear articles of traditional Jewish clothing, practice Davidic dancing, and incorporate Hebrew names and phrases into their writing and conversations. Most reject the use of the name "Jesus" in favor of Yeshua or YHWH, claiming that these are the "true" names that God desires for Himself."
You can see this in comments made by Candace in the mentioned article like "I have always been bothered by the disconnect between “christian holidays” and what is celebrated in the Bible", "we celebrate Passover or Pesach. The short answer is super easy; because God told us to and Jesus did and then Paul reiterated it’s importance." and the statement of beliefs found on  "HoshannahRabbah.org".


It is also very important to note that many sects of the Hebrew Roots movement "elevate the Torah as the foundational teaching for the Church, which brings about the demotion of the New Testament, causing it to become secondary in importance and only to be understood in light of the Old Testament. The idea that the New Testament is faulty and relevant only in light of the Old Testament has also brought the doctrine of the Trinity under attack by many advocates of the Hebrew Roots beliefs." This represents an undeniable danger that one can fall prey to by embracing such a false movement. An eventual denial of essential beliefs. For more on essential beliefs read here - https://carm.org/essential-doctrines-of-christianity


Contrary to the false teaching Candace is promoting in this article this is what God says - "Colossians 2:16,17 says, "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day – things which are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ." Romans 14:5 states, "One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind." Scripture clearly indicates that these issues are a matter of personal choice. These verses and many others give clear evidence that the Mosaic Covenant laws and ordinances have ended. Continuing to teach that the Old Covenant is still in effect in spite of what the New Testament teaches, or twisting the New Testament to agree with the Hebrew Roots beliefs, is false teaching." Nowhere in scripture does God say observe the Passover like Candace falsely claimed God called her to do and it is a "responsibility".

Don't get me wrong , it is beneficial to study the Passover "and could be beneficial to celebrate it if it leads to a greater understanding and appreciation for Christ’s death and resurrection. The Passover is a wonderful picture of Christ’s atonement for His people and His deliverance of us from the bondage of sin. That is something we should celebrate every day of our lives." That is not the problem. The problem is where this need to celebrate the Passover is coming from - the Hebrew Roots movement.

To identify with Israel is different from identifying "as" Israel. The website- HoshannahRabbah.org"  Candace quoted from teaches that Gentile believers are grafted into the Judaism of the Mosaic Covenant (visit the site and look at their beliefs). This is false and classic Hebrew Roots movement teaching. "Gentile believers are not grafted into the Judaism of the Mosaic Covenant; they are grafted into the seed and faith of Abraham, which preceded the Law and Jewish customs. They are fellow citizens with the saints (Ephesians 2:19), but they are not Jews. Paul explains this clearly when he tells those who were circumcised (the Jews) "not to seek to be uncircumcised" and those who were uncircumcised (the Gentiles) "not to become circumcised" (1 Corinthians 7:18). There is no need for either group to feel they must become what they are not. Instead, God has made Jews and Gentiles into "one new man" in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:15). This "new man" is referring to the Church, the body of Christ, which is made up of neither Jew nor Gentile (Galatians 3:27-29). It's important for Jews and Gentiles to remain authentic in their own identity. In this way a clear picture of the unity of the body of Christ can be seen as Jews and Gentiles are united by one Lord, one faith, one baptism. If Gentiles are grafted into Israel, becoming Jews, the purpose and picture of both Jew and Gentile, coming together as one new man, is lost. God never intended Gentiles to become one in Israel, but one in Christ."

Candace and Nate (Candace's husband) are simply misleading people and lying to people by promoting this. What they are promoting is heretical and dangerous. "It's dangerous in its implication that keeping the Old Covenant law is walking a "higher path" and is the only way to please God and receive His blessings. Nowhere in the Bible do we find Gentile believers being instructed to follow Levitical laws or Jewish customs; in fact, the opposite is taught. Romans 7:6 says, "But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code." Christ, in keeping perfectly every ordinance of the Mosaic Law, completely fulfilled it. Just as making the final payment on a home fulfills that contract and ends one’s obligation to it, so also Christ has made the final payment and has fulfilled the law, bringing it to an end for us all."


Candace, you formed a group on Facebook called "RUCKUS" a false group that promoted unbiblical unity with campus ministries that preached a false gospel that leads people to hell apart from God. The gospel is an essential belief, you cannot deny that and be a Christian. You also cowardly gave Nate Curry the words to say to me claiming I was not a Christian when he lacked the fortitude of a God fearing man to confront me about my comments on Facebook in person when I was contending for the gospel with regards to the Torah and keeping it. At the time I did not know what you guys were believing but I knew it was not the pure gospel. I have been a victim of you and Nate's legalism and gossip and I will no longer stand by, keep silent, and watch you guys mislead others. Why are you guys always misled by every strange doctrine? First ruckus, now the Hebrew Roots movement?  Ephesians 4:14. Nate, also it is public record how I refuted you when you attempted to assassinate my character when I confided in you with the big trial in my life (Proverbs 20:19, Proverbs 16:29). Most messages between us have been saved. It won't be a problem to release them if need be to expose your false allegations and lies.


You both will reap what you sow and I encourage you both to question if you truly know Christ and if you do repent and cling to the purity of the gospel. Not everyone is called to be a teacher - 2 Corinthians 13:5, James 3:1 and you both do not promote the purity of the gospel as seen by your endorsement of the heretical movement- the Hebrew Roots movement. You both will be judged for the evil you do in the body of Christ if indeed you are Christians - 2 Corinthians 5:10

Hebrew Roots movement information cited from "http://www.gotquestions.org/Hebrew-roots.html"

*This article has been posted on their website and Candace's YouTube*


Read over by Garrett Edmison

Written by Cash Willis