“The Jews are the most worthless of all men. They are lecherous, greedy and rapacious. They are perfidious murderers of Christ. The Jews are the odious assassins of Christ and for killing God there is no expiation possible, no indulgence or pardon. Christians may never cease vengeance and the Jews must live in servitude forever. God always hated the Jews. It is incumbent upon Christians to hate Jews."
"What shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of the Jews? First, their synagogues should be set on fire. Secondly their homes should likewise be broken down an destroyed. Thirdly they should be deprived of their prayer books and Talmuds. Fourthly their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach any more. Fifthly passport and traveling privileges should be absolutely forbidden to Jews. Sixthly they ought to be stopped from usury. Seventhly let the young and strong Jews and Jewesses be given the flail, the axe, the spade, the distaff, and spindle and let them earn their bread by the sweat of their noses. To sum up, dear princes and nobles who have Jews in your domains, if this advice of mine does not suit you, then find a better one, so that you and we may all be free of this insufferable devilish burden—the Jews."
The Jews didn’t murder Christ - Jesus gave up His own life! Even if the Jews were the instrument, why in the world would Christians hate Jews for executing Jesus, when it was necessary that Jesus be killed in order to provide salvation?!? This is something that has always bothered me about the anti-Jew teachings of so many false believers and cults.
If anyone teaches this nonsense, ask them to demonstrate from the Bible where Jesus would ever teach it.
12 comments:
It is nice to hear another believer acknowledging that, at times, Christians have said terrible things about the Jews. It is an ungodly attitude and an unbiblical belief, for certain. Another error is that of replacement theology/amillennialism, turning the church into "spiritual Israel" (and considering Israel of old as 'the church'), robbing them of their blessings, whilst leaving them with the curses. Proper exegesis of Scripture nips this problem in the bud.
-Carolyn
Replacement theology, when you get down to it, IS the reason for the anti-Jew teachings.
Realistically, the pure nature of the Jewish people group has become rather rare in nature due to the intermarriage of their people throughout the generations. And now since the Apostle Paul's declaration that there is neither Jew nor Gentile, we are commanded to preach the Gospel to all nations regardless of the people group's who reside on the land. We must remember that Jews have also spoken horrible things about those of us who follow Jesus, for there are two sides to this religious coin.
Of the millions of Jews in the world, I'm sure there are probably those who are still "pure" Jews.
But that isn't the point, since the world's persecution of Jews was always about even those with ANY Jewish heritage.
Paul's statement about neither Jew nor Greek wasn't to say that there aren't Jews and Gentiles, rather it was to say in the eyes of Christ, as far as salvation, there is no difference; everyone is the same before God.
Whether Jews have said bad things about Christians isn't the point. The Jews anti-Christian attitude was always based on how they were treated by the Christians. The point is that CHRISTIANS have specific teachings about loving your neighbor, etc, so that ANY persecution of anyone is totally against the Christian faith.
Romans 1:16
Romans 11, entirety.
Jeremiah 31:35-37.
Genesis 12:3.
And well said, Glenn.
-Carolyn
Anonymous @ August 19, 2015 at 7:52 AM
You are right that we are commanded to preach the Gospel to all nations.
But as a Christian, you should know that there is only one race - the human race. Science has repudiated the idea of any such thing as "pure blood". Educated anti-Semites these days focus their dreams on genetic manipulation to create their superior race.
Even Jewish leaders deny the idea of a "Jewish Race", because there never has been one. Abram, Ruth, etc. People have always been coming in and going out. Whatever the Jewish people are, it's not about race or blood.
When you say, "Jews have spoken horrible things about those of us who follow Jesus", do you realize how un-Christian you sound? "The Jews" cannot say anything, because since 70 AD there has not been one Jewish leader. Individual people say all kinds of things against Christians. In fact being slandered is what Jesus told us to expect, isn't it? (1 Peter 4.12-14 & Matthew 5.11)
Not trying to be too hard on you, but I'd hate you to have to fact Christ realizing you made such a colossal blunder. And I hope people will continue to help me in the places I'm mistaken. That's the mark of a true friend.
Alec,
I think you misunderstood me. I have always preached "one race - the human race," and have even addressed it in the past on this blog in various articles and comments.
Jews are a "tribe" or "nation" or "people group" if you will. My point about "pure" Jews was to counter the apparent claim that Jews have mixed so much with Gentiles that it is unlikely that there are "pure" Jews. I think there could very well be those who have retained a direct line Jewish ancestry without ever marrying into any other culture or tribe or people group.
The original "Jewish" nation, of course would be God's chosen people, the family of Jacob/Israel. Then it would be those who intermarried and/or proselytized, etc. And in that regard it would be blood and association. Family ties, as it were.
You also misunderstand about Jews saying horrible things about Christian. Goodness, you don't need a leader to do that. There have been many, many individual Jews who have castigated Christians throughout history. Just like the many, many Christians who have spoken evil against the Jews. Christians don't have a single leader either and yet there are those are guilty of slandering Jews.
So, I think you have just misunderstood my points.
Hi Glenn,
My comment was in response to anonymous @ 7.52am, not to you. I agree with your post.
There's so much anti-semitism coming lately from supposed Christians, my hair-trigger is a little too quick. Apologies for the confusion.
Alec
Alec,
Anonymous @ August 19, 2015 at 7:52 AM
Yep, it was right there and I missed it! DUH!
For the record, to be accused of being an anti-Semite is a lie and that false accusation is always hurled at me by those who profess to be followers of Christ, in which I too, have the privilege of being a born again, Spirit filled Christian, who loves Jesus and believes in His Word.
In our church, there are some very powerful and influential women who are currently listening and following every word coming out of the mouth of a local Jewish rabbi. When I asked these women if he is saved, believes on the LORD Jesus Christ for His salvation, at least they were honest with this one; they said this rabbi does not believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world. These women have also brought in the Hebrew Roots teachings and are currently trying to put the rest of us under the Old Testament Laws. The guilt trips they lay on us is ravishing to say the least and to be outright accused of being anti-Semitic because families choose not to worship the geopolitical land of Israel, to choose not to watch their commentaries and slide shows of the earthly nation of Israel, to not send paper prayer requests for them to stick into the wailing wall, to not participate in their seder meals, to be accused that by eating pork we are unclean, etc., etc., etc., just plain hurts and because we choose not to worship any nation or people group, just plain hurts.
We had some very un-Christlike remarks made in general concerning black Americans by a male elder in our church. He posted these hateful remarks on everyone's email and he particularly hates President Obama for his politics control his life, poor soul. At that time, having black children in my Sunday School class, it was time for what God, the Holy Spirit, to lead us in what He has to say about people, one blood, a human race and how as believers all of us become a part of the priesthood through Jesus, alone. Under Jesus, the New Covenant, a new man was created and the old in now gone. It is a mystery to be sure and I do not and will never have all of the answers concerning everything of Christ.
I love Jesus and I love people for our greatest command is to preach the Gospel to all nations, the lost souls. I do not have to go into a long lingo, boasting and bragging of myself, for the Glory belongs to our LORD alone and not my human works.
I do not hate Jews, I do not hate Germans, I do not hate Norwegians, Dutch, or Mexicans.....nor do I hate my unsaved neighbor down the road who is trying so desperately to destroy the hog industry because they are following a false Gospel and sitting under a rabbi who does not know Jesus as His LORD and Redeemer.
In prayer for those who falsely accuse, in the precious Name of Jesus, our true Shepherd.
Dear Anonymous,
You're right - being falsely accused is a terrible thing. I apologize.
It sounds from your post that others have accused you of anti-semitism. If so, they may have been responding to things that sound different than how you mean them. I reacted to:
"pure nature of the Jewish people group"
"who reside on the land"
"Jews have spoken horrible things"
"two sides to this religious coin"
Taken together these closely resemble the code language used by people who want to kill the Jews. You didn't mean it that way. But those of us who have faced religious or racially based hatred are sensitive to these things. And perhaps too much so.
---
Your church situation sounds extremely distressing. What was your pastor's public response to the elder's remarks against black Americans?
And, the Hebrew Roots movement is every bit as damaging as Replacement Theology. Why is your pastor allowing this to go on? What does he say about Colossians 2.16? Or Galatians chapter 3? Scripture is so abundantly clear on this point.
Perhaps the two women pushing Hebrew Roots don't know these verses. But if they reject them after you have pointed them out, then there is a more serious problem.
Thanks for your prayers, and please do accept my apology. I'm a work in progress.
With kind thoughts,
Alec
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