Today’s Church Problems and Restoring God’s Teaching

The Hebrew word 'Torah' (תּוֹרָה) originally means 'teaching,' 'instruction,' 'guidance,' or 'direction.' It comes from the Hebrew verb 'yarah' (ירה), which means 'to shoot,' 'to point out,' 'to lay down.' It carries the meaning of God’s teaching that shows His people how to live, just like an archer shoots an arrow to hit a target.⁷ In other words, Torah is not just a list of rules to follow, but a practical guide that reveals God’s will and shows us the path we should take.⁷

However, long ago when the Bible was translated into Greek, Torah was rendered as 'nomos' (νοˊμος), and its meaning tended to narrow down to 'law' or 'rule'.⁷ Because of this translation, later generations came to misunderstand Torah as a rigid and burdensome set of rules, which eventually made it easy to argue that the Torah is no longer needed. If we think of Torah only as old, hard-to-keep legal clauses, especially ceremonial laws that became unnecessary after Jesus' time, it’s easy to doubt its importance today.⁸

But the true nature of Torah is God’s comprehensive 'teaching' for His people. It contains deep stories about how the world was created, how the patriarchs lived, what God’s promises to us are, how we should live specifically, as well as who God is and how He saves us.⁹ So, thinking of Torah merely as 'law' makes us miss its rich meaning. If we understand Torah as God’s fundamental 'teaching,' instead of asking, "Why should we keep these old laws?" we will ask, "Why would we abandon God’s important teaching?"

Traditionally, Judaism primarily refers to the Pentateuch, the first five books of Moses—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—when speaking of Torah.⁹ These books contain the core narrative of God’s salvation story, from the creation of the world, the covenant with Abraham, the beginning of the Israelite nation, the Exodus from Egypt, the covenant and giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, the wilderness wanderings, to Moses' final instructions before entering the land of Canaan.⁹

More broadly, Torah can refer to the entire Old Testament, the Tanakh, which combines the Torah (Pentateuch), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings).¹⁰ This is because not only the Pentateuch but also the Prophets and other writings are seen as containing God’s teaching and revelation. Additionally, Jewish tradition also values the Oral Torah (Mishnah, Talmud, etc.), which was passed down by word of mouth, alongside the Written Torah (Pentateuch).⁹ However, this book will primarily focus on the meaning of God’s Law as revealed in the Written Torah, especially the Pentateuch, for us today from a Christian perspective.

Misunderstanding why the Torah was given is a major reason why some argue it was abolished. Many mistakenly view the Torah as a set of rules to follow to earn salvation, and since humans cannot keep it perfectly ¹³, they think it was replaced by Jesus' grace. But the Bible clearly states that the Torah was not given as a means of salvation.

Rather, the Torah is a guide for life given to people already saved by God’s grace.¹⁵ The sequence of events—the Law being given at Sinai after the Israelites were rescued from Egypt—shows this clearly.¹⁵ In other words, salvation comes first, and the Law is God’s teaching on how the saved people should live in a right relationship with God and form a holy community.⁷

Specifically, the Torah has the following purposes:

Traditionally, Christianity has understood the Old Testament Law by dividing it into three categories: moral law, civil law, and ceremonial (ritual) law.⁸ The moral law (e.g., the Ten Commandments) contains God’s unchanging moral will, so it’s important for all people in all times. Civil law was for governing ancient Israelite society; while not applied literally today, its principles can be referenced. Ceremonial law is generally seen as fulfilled by Jesus' sacrifice, so it no longer needs to be followed literally.⁸

This division helps in understanding different aspects of the Law, but it risks overlooking the unity of the entire Law and being misused to arbitrarily discard certain parts. Especially the claim that ceremonial law is abolished sometimes leads to inconsistent application regarding still-debated issues like the Sabbath commandment or tithing.²⁰ Therefore, dividing the Law into three types should be done cautiously, focusing more on grasping God’s fundamental will and principles that run through the entire Law. The next chapter will go beyond the limits of this division and explore how the New Testament speaks about the importance of the entire Law.

In conclusion, the Torah is not just a collection of rules to follow, but a comprehensive life teaching for God’s saved people, an expression of God’s wisdom and love intended to reveal His character and build a holy community. Understanding the Torah correctly in this way is a necessary first step in diagnosing the difficulties faced by the church today and finding the path to recovery.

The most crucial scripture passage regarding the ongoing validity of the Law is Matthew 5:17-20. Here, Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."²¹ The Greek word translated 'fulfill,' plēroō (πληροˊω), is clearly the opposite of 'abolish' (katalyō, καταλυˊω) and carries meanings like 'to fill up,' 'to accomplish,' 'to confirm,' 'to reveal the original meaning'.²¹ In other words, Jesus came not to get rid of the Law, but to fully achieve what the Law originally intended and to reveal its true meaning.²¹

Far from weakening the Law’s demands, Jesus made them deeper. He interpreted the commandment against murder to include anger towards a brother ²³, and the commandment against adultery to include harboring lustful thoughts ²³, thereby emphasizing inner righteousness that goes beyond mere outward observance.²³ This contrasted with the hypocritical behavior of the religious leaders of the time, who were bound by the literal meaning of the Law but missed its spirit.²³ What Jesus criticized was not the Law itself, but the practice of using the Law as a tool to boast of one’s own righteousness ²¹, or prioritizing the traditions of the elders over God’s commandments, thus distorting the true meaning of the Law.²¹ Jesus reaffirmed the Law’s eternal authority by stating that "not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished" (Matt 5:18).

As this table shows, the view understanding 'fulfill' as 'Establish/Uphold' emphasizes that Jesus' ministry does not abolish the Law but rather restores its essential meaning and authority. This aligns with the core argument of this report, which asserts the Law’s continuing importance.

The Apostle Paul’s letters often cause confusion because of seemingly contradictory statements about the Law.²⁸ In Galatians, he strongly criticizes the idea that one can be justified by works of the Law, stating that the Law actually puts us under a curse.¹⁴ However, in Romans, he says that faith does not abolish the Law but rather upholds it.¹⁹

To resolve this apparent contradiction, we need to clearly understand what Paul was criticizing. Paul opposed not the Law itself, but the attempt to become righteous before God through 'works of the Law' (erga nomou), that is, 'legalism'.¹⁹ At that time, Judaizers might have used certain legal requirements—like circumcision, dietary rules, and observing festivals—as markers of their national identity to distinguish themselves from Gentiles, possibly trying to gain or maintain their status as God’s covenant people through these actions (the 'New Perspective' view).³⁴ Paul directly refuted this works-based, self-reliant view of salvation, emphasizing that righteousness comes only through faith in Jesus Christ, freely by God’s grace (sola fide).¹³

However, the doctrine of justification by faith never means that the Law is useless or abolished. Paul asserts in Romans 3:31, "Do we then nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."¹⁹ This means that faith does not oppose the Law but rather restores its true purpose and function. The Law still plays an important role in making us aware of sin ¹³, and for believers justified by faith and guided by the Holy Spirit, it becomes God’s good instruction for a holy life.¹⁵ In other words, salvation is received by faith, but the life of the saved person is a process of becoming holy by living according to the Law (God’s teaching).¹⁵

Ultimately, in Paul’s theology, the relationship between the Law and the Gospel is not one of opposition but of fulfillment and confirmation. The Law acts as a 'tutor' (or schoolmaster) that reveals human sin and inability, leading us to Christ.³⁰ The Gospel fulfills the Law’s demands (especially the penalty for sin) in Christ ³⁷ and gives us the power through the Spirit to practice the spirit of the Law (love).¹⁹

Another important argument against the idea that the Law was abolished is found in the prophecy about the New Covenant. The prophet Jeremiah foretold that God would make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, unlike the Sinai covenant: "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people" (Jer 31:33). The author of Hebrews quotes this prophecy, explaining the fulfillment of the New Covenant through Jesus Christ (Heb 8:8-12).

This means that in the New Covenant era, the Law is not abolished but rather internalized, written on 'tablets of human hearts' instead of stone, and obeyed voluntarily through the power of the Holy Spirit.²³ It foretells an age where the essential demand of the Law—love for God and love for neighbor ¹⁹—is fulfilled not through external force but through inner transformation and the work of the Spirit. Therefore, the New Covenant promises not the abolition of the Law, but its internalization and practical fulfillment.

In discussions about the continuing importance of the Law, the most frequent objections concern the so-called 'ceremonial laws,' such as the Sabbath, food laws, and ritual laws. Traditional Reformed theology views these ceremonial laws as shadows pointing to Christ’s work; with the arrival of Christ, the substance, their function ended, and they were abolished.⁸ Colossians 2:16-17 ("Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ") is often cited as the main basis for this claim.

However, other perspectives, including the Hebrew Roots movement, challenge this interpretation. They argue that Jesus and the apostles observed the Law, including the Sabbath ³⁸, and there is no explicit verse declaring the Law’s abolition. They interpret Colossians 2 not as abolishing the Law itself, but as warning against a legalistic attitude that makes external observance a condition of salvation or uses it to judge others. Furthermore, while the sacrificial aspect of the ceremonial law was fulfilled by Christ’s single sacrifice ¹⁵, they argue that the fundamental principles and spirit embedded within—such as the 'rest' and 'holiness' of the Sabbath, the 'commemoration' and 'prophetic meaning' of the festivals, and the 'distinction' and 'health' aspects of the food laws—remain important and applicable to the believer’s life.³⁸ Even within Reformed theology, there is a view that although the ceremonial laws were literally abolished, their 'effect' as types pointing to Christ was not, and their spirit still serves as a standard for the believer’s worship and pious life.⁸

This debate shows the complexity of New Testament interpretation and suggests that how we apply specific clauses of the Law today requires careful theological thought and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.²⁰ However, what is clear is that debates over how to apply specific clauses should not lead to the conclusion that the fundamental teachings and principles of the entire Law have been discarded.

The early church was a community where Jewish believers and Gentile believers existed together. During this process, the question of whether Gentile believers had to observe the Law became an important issue.³¹ The Jerusalem Council, recorded in Acts 15, made a significant decision on this matter. Some believers from a Jewish background argued that Gentiles must also be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses to be saved.³¹ However, after discussion, apostles like Peter, Paul, and James decided not to place the heavy burden of observing the Law for salvation on Gentile believers.⁴⁸ Instead, they suggested a few minimum requirements—abstaining from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality ⁴⁹—which were largely practical guidelines for fellowship and unity with Jewish believers.

The decision of the Jerusalem Council does not mean the entire Law was abolished. It rejected works of the Law as a condition for salvation, not that saved Gentile believers had no need to follow God’s teaching (Torah). In fact, Jewish believers continued to go to the Temple and observe the customs of the Law ³⁸, and Paul himself acted like a Jew to Jews and like a Gentile to Gentiles to preach the Gospel (1 Cor 9:19-23). When Peter withdrew from eating with Gentiles in Antioch because he was conscious of the Jews who came from Jerusalem ⁵², Paul rebuked him, addressing Peter’s hypocritical and discriminatory attitude towards the Law, not the Law itself.

The history of the early church shows that the Law issue cannot be resolved by a simple abolish/keep dichotomy. The principle that salvation is by faith alone, but the life of the saved should be lived within God’s teaching (Torah), could apply to both Jews and Gentiles. However, wisdom and discernment according to the situation were needed in its specific application and emphasis.

In conclusion, the New Testament does not support the idea that the Law was abolished. Jesus fulfilled the Law and revealed its true meaning, and Paul, while criticizing legalism, declared that faith upholds the Law. The New Covenant promises the internalization of the Law, and the early church, while rejecting works of the Law as a condition for salvation, did not completely deny the Law’s value as guidance for the saved life. Therefore, the claim that the Law was completely abolished in the New Testament era is difficult to reconcile with the testimony of the entire Bible. Rather, the Law should be understood as God’s eternal teaching, newly illuminated in Christ and to be realized through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Syncretism means that core Christian truths or practices get mixed with elements outside the Bible, such as beliefs from other religions, philosophies, cultural customs, or worldly values, causing the original meaning to be changed or distorted.¹⁶ This is fundamentally different from 'Contextualization,' which tries to effectively communicate the Gospel using culture. While contextualization involves dressing the Gospel in cultural clothes while keeping its essence, syncretism leads to changing the content of the Gospel itself.

The Bible strongly warns against the danger of syncretism from the very beginning. The first two of the Ten Commandments, core commandments of the Old Testament, command worshiping only Yahweh God and forbid making other gods or idols (Exodus 20:3-5).⁵⁷ When the Israelites entered Canaan, God repeatedly warned them not to be tainted by the land’s idolatrous culture and religious practices. However, Israel’s history was a history of failure, constantly mixing with the religions of surrounding nations, especially Baal worship which promised fertility and prosperity, thereby provoking God’s anger.⁵⁴ The prophet Elijah’s cry on Mount Carmel, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him" (1 Kings 18:21), was a stern rebuke against such syncretistic faith practices.⁵³

The New Testament also warns against the danger of syncretism. The Apostle Paul urged the Roman believers, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will" (Rom 12:2), emphasizing a life distinct from the world.⁵⁴ Jesus warned against trying to serve both God and worldly values (Mammon), saying, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money" (Matt 6:24).⁵³ The letters to the seven churches in Revelation also rebuke false teachings, immoral practices, and compromise with the world that had infiltrated the churches, urging repentance. Thus, the entire Bible consistently demands that God’s people maintain holiness, distinct from the world, serving only God and obeying His Word.⁵⁴

Some Christian worldview movements have diagnosed the main problem of the modern church as 'Dualism'—separating faith and life—and have emphasized active participation and influence in the world.⁵³ However, some theologians, like Professor Kim Ki-hyun, disagree with this diagnosis, arguing instead that 'Syncretism'—the church mixing with the world and losing its identity—is a far more serious and fundamental problem.⁵³

According to their argument, the Bible is less concerned with the church building walls and separating itself from the world, and more strongly warns against failing to be distinct from the world and becoming assimilated into its ways.⁵⁴ The main reason for Israel’s corruption and downfall was not separation from the world, but mixture with it—namely, idolatry and adopting foreign cultures.⁵⁴ In the New Testament as well, Jesus and the apostles emphasized being distinct from the world and warned against worldly values (Mammon, power, etc.) entering the church.⁵³ The historical fact that the church rapidly declined when Christianity was legalized under Emperor Constantine (313) and later became the state religion of the Roman Empire under Theodosius (380), leading to the church and the world becoming identified and the church colluding with secular power, also shows the dangers of syncretism.⁵⁴

Therefore, the real problem of the church is not a lack of engagement with the world, but a crisis of identity where the church has lost its distinctiveness and become no different from the world.⁵³ Before entering the world to bring change, it is urgent for the church first to restore its holiness by being distinct from the world’s values and ways, they argue. Advocating social engagement while being thoroughly assimilated into the world only results in repeating worldly ideas in the name of Christianity.⁵⁴

Today, syncretism appears in various forms in many modern churches, including the Korean church.

What is the fundamental reason why these various syncretistic aspects have spread within the church? This book finds the core cause in abandoning or downplaying God’s Law, the Torah. The Torah provides clear and specific standards and boundaries for how God’s people should live. The Torah distinguishes between true worship and idolatry (Exodus 20:3-5), enabling discernment between God’s will and worldly desires. It also provides ethical and social rules to maintain the community’s holiness and purity.

Therefore, when the church recognizes the Torah as God’s authoritative Word and obeys its teachings, it can maintain a holy identity distinct from the world. The Torah acts as a barrier preventing the indiscriminate infiltration of worldly values and culture into the church. However, when the church dismisses the Torah as an outdated relic of a bygone era, no longer important, and fails to recognize its authority, the church loses the standard for faith and life. Consequently, human thoughts, experiences, or contemporary trends and culture fill the void left by objective divine Word, and the church naturally becomes mixed with the world, losing its essence.⁵⁷

Syncretism is not merely the entry of external elements into the church; it is the inevitable result when the church stops using God’s Word as its standard and begins to follow other authorities (culture, experience, pragmatism, etc.). In other words, when the church abandons God’s absolute standard, the Torah, it is inevitably swept away by the strong currents of relativism and syncretism. Therefore, overcoming syncretism and restoring the church’s purity and holiness requires, above all, returning to the path of restoring the authority of God’s Law, the Torah, and obeying its teachings.

*Table 2: Comparison of Biblical Principles and Syncretistic/Humanistic Distortions (Simplified)

This table shows how biblical principles can be distorted by syncretism and humanism. It reveals that when the church departs from God’s Word, including the Torah, it inevitably becomes tainted by worldly values and thoughts, losing its essence.

Generally, humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that regards human reason, dignity, and self-determination as the highest values, seeking truth and setting ethical standards through human experience and rational thought rather than supernatural beings or revelation.⁷⁵ This kind of secular humanism is often linked to atheism (believing God doesn’t exist) or agnosticism (believing it’s impossible to know if God exists), and holds a naturalistic worldview that denies the spiritual realm or God’s existence.⁷⁵

However, humanism doesn’t only appear in forms that deny God. Humanistic tendencies can also appear within Christian theology, which can be called 'theological humanism' or 'Christian humanism.' This doesn’t explicitly deny God, but tends to center faith more on human experience, needs, reason, and well-being than on God and His Word.⁷⁹ In essence, it’s a form of faith that looks Christian on the outside but has humans, not God, at its core.⁷⁹ This theological humanism sometimes appears as attempts to view biblical authority as relative or to reinterpret Christian doctrines to fit human reason or modern ideas (e.g., liberal theology).⁷⁵

The flow of humanistic thought traces back to the Renaissance period in Western history. Moving away from the medieval God-centered worldview, a renewed interest in the human-centered culture and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome sparked a new awareness of human value and potential.⁷⁵ This trend reached its peak during the Enlightenment era of the 17th-18th centuries.⁷⁶

The Enlightenment championed human reason as the absolute authority, challenging traditional religious authority (especially that of the church).⁷⁶ The belief spread that humans could understand and improve the world through scientific discovery and rational thought, emphasizing reliance on natural law and human moral capacity over supernatural revelation or miracles.⁷⁶ In this process, Christian faith was often seen as irrational superstition or considered something that needed reinterpretation to conform to human reason.⁷⁶ The Enlightenment, based on optimistic faith in human progress and technology, dreamed of building paradise on earth ⁷⁶, but it is criticized for ultimately weakening faith and paving the way for secularization.⁷⁶

From a biblical worldview, humanism has several serious problems.

In conclusion, humanism is an attempt to place humans in God’s position, which is fundamentally incompatible with biblical truth. Criticism suggests that humanism without God-centeredness inevitably loses direction and can end in nihilism or violence.⁷⁸

This humanistic way of thinking has infiltrated and influenced the modern church in various ways.

The process by which humanism takes root in the church is closely linked to abandoning God’s Law, the Torah. The Torah clearly declares God’s absolute sovereignty, human creatureliness, and human sinfulness and responsibility. Furthermore, the Torah presents God’s objective and unchanging standards (moral law, worship regulations, social justice, etc.) for all areas of human life.

Therefore, accepting and obeying the Torah as God’s authoritative Word inevitably controls human-centered thinking and maintains a God-centered faith. The Torah breaks human pride, teaches humility before God ¹³, and demands that God’s Word, not human reason or experience, be the final authority for life.

Conversely, when the church ignores or weakens the authority of the Torah, the void is inevitably filled by human standards and values.⁷⁶ Where God’s objective law disappears, human subjective reason, emotion, desire, or social consensus becomes the new standard. This provides fertile ground for humanism to flourish. Particularly, rejecting the absolute moral standards presented by the Torah makes the church susceptible to ethical relativism, which is the root cause of numerous ethical scandals and compromises in the modern church.¹

Humanism often infiltrates the church disguised in attractive forms like compassion, inclusion, intellect, and practical relevance. It gradually erodes the foundation of faith through subtle shifts in values that prioritize human needs or solutions over God’s revealed truth. To discern and resist this subtle infiltration of humanism, it is essential to re-establish the entire Word of God, including the Torah, as the absolute standard for faith and life. The recovery of the Torah can be the key to returning the church to being God-centered and Word-centered, freeing it from the trap of humanism.

Secularization means the process by which religious beliefs, practices, and institutions lose social importance.⁸³ While it can refer to the large-scale trend where society as a whole reorganizes around worldly rationality and values, moving away from religious influence, it also denotes changes occurring within the church itself. Internal secularization of the church means faith becomes confined to the private sphere, the church pursues worldly values and goals, and consequently loses its special distinctiveness from the world.³

The secularization of the church appears through specific signs like these:

The secularization of the church is not solely due to changes in the external environment. Rather, it tends to accelerate when the church internally abandons God’s Word, especially the standards and commands contained in His Law, the Torah. The Torah is like God’s blueprint given so that His people may live holy lives, distinct from the world. By presenting God’s will in specific areas of life—such as worship methods, ethical standards, principles of community life, and guidelines for using time and resources—the Torah helps the church maintain its unique identity and resist being swept away by worldly currents.⁵⁹

For example, the Sabbath commandment is more than just a day of rest; it demands remembering God the Creator and setting aside worldly affairs to focus on the relationship with God. The festivals commemorate God’s salvation history and guide living according to His timetable. Food laws help practice distinction as a holy people in daily life. These specific commands in the Torah serve as visible markers distinguishing God’s people from the world.

However, when the church deems these Torah teachings no longer important and discards them, it loses the concrete life standards and boundaries that distinguish it from the world.⁵³ The void left by God’s standards is naturally filled by worldly standards and values. Instead of the Sabbath, the church follows the world’s rhythm emphasizing efficiency and productivity; instead of festivals, it enjoys commercialized holidays; instead of the distinction of food laws, it uncritically adopts worldly food culture. In this process, the church gradually becomes like the world, loses its unique light and saltiness, and walks the path of secularization.

Secularization is a gradual process, often justified in the name of acceptance, adaptation, or convenience. But when the specific, and sometimes world-conflicting, commands of God contained in the Torah are neglected, this gradual drift toward secularization becomes unstoppable.⁹⁰ Resisting secularization requires more than just confessing faith; it demands restoring the principles and practices of a distinct life specified in the Torah to clearly affirm the identity as God’s holy people.

Furthermore, denying the authority of the Bible, especially the Torah, acts as both a significant cause and consequence of secularization, creating a vicious cycle.⁸³ Doubts about biblical authority, particularly skepticism towards parts like the Torah that clash with modern sensibilities, open the door for the church to accept secular ideas and values.⁵⁹ And once secular perspectives are adopted, they further weaken biblical authority, deepening secularization. To break this cycle, it is imperative to strongly reaffirm the divine authority and sufficiency of the entire Bible, including the Torah, and establish it as the sole and final standard for faith and life. All attempts to subordinate the Bible to secular ways of thinking must be rejected, ensuring that only God’s Word serves as the guiding light for the church.

In conclusion, the secularization of the church is a direct result of abandoning God’s Law, the Torah. For the church to restore its identity as a holy community distinct from the world and resist the tide of secularization, there is no alternative but to return to the eternal teachings contained in the Torah and obey that Word.

Recently, within some Christian circles, movements emphasizing the Jewish origins of Christian faith and advocating for the restoration of the Torah (Law) have emerged under names like the 'Hebrew Roots Movement' or 'Messianic Judaism Movement'.³⁸

The core arguments of this movement can be summarized as follows:

Within this movement, diverse theological positions and practices exist.⁹⁶ Some people emphasize Jewish tradition very strongly, while others seek more connection with Christianity.

Synthesizing the arguments of the Hebrew Roots movement and the discussions in previous chapters, the theological reasons for believers today to restore and observe the Torah can be presented as follows:

This call for Torah restoration should be understood not as a return to Judaism, but as a recovery of the Hebraic thought and the teaching of the entire Bible, which form the original foundation of Christian faith. This is deeply related to the process of the church recovering its identity as 'Israel,' God’s covenant people. As Paul explains in Romans 11, Gentile believers are grafted into the original olive tree, Israel, through faith.⁴² Therefore, the church is not a new community that replaced Israel, but the expanded covenant people of God—spiritual Israel—where Jews and Gentiles become one in Messiah. From this perspective, the Torah, God’s teaching given to Israel, is no longer 'someone else’s law' but gains importance as our 'family law,' the 'law of the Kingdom of God'.³⁸ Abandoning the Torah is like abandoning the identity and way of life of the covenant people.

Several criticisms and concerns are raised regarding the call for Torah restoration and observance.

Considering these criticisms and points of caution, the Torah restoration movement should be approached with prudence and discernment. Rather than blindly following specific movements or leaders ⁴¹, efforts are needed to verify its validity in light of the teachings of the entire Bible and apply it wisely according to the Spirit’s guidance. The core is not to become entangled in legal clauses themselves, but to understand the will and heart of God revealed through the Torah and to grow in conformity to His character.

Specific steps that churches and individuals can take to restore the Torah and Hebrew roots include:

Through these efforts, the church can rebuild the lost foundation of faith, overcome the crises of syncretism, humanism, and secularization, and be restored as the holy and powerful community God originally intended.