Quotes:
“Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” ― Ronald Reagan
“Because God has made us for Himself, our hearts are restless until they rest in Him.” ― Augustine
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” ― C.S. Lewis
“Nobody's perfect. Well, there was this one guy, but we killed him....” ― Christopher Moore, Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
“The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness.” ― William Blake
Ephesians 4:1-6
Three of the world’s major religions root out the same source:
Judaism, Christianity and Muslimism.
All three hail to Abraham.
The Dome of the Rock covers a rock.
This is believed by Jews and Christians to be the rock which Isaac was to be offered upon. The Muslims however, believe it was Ismael instead of Isaac.
Last week we spent some time at the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. It is always sobering to say the least.
-The smell of the shoes… All the Hair… the train car… oven door…!
A lot of effort is spent on trying to help people understand how such a horrible thing occurred and how to ensure that it never occurs again.
Approximately 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust in WWII.
History is important. = "Those who ignore history are bound (or doomed) to repeat it" is actually a miss-quotation of the original text written by George Santayana, who, in his Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason, Vol.1, wrote "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
One piece that seemed to be missing was the influence of Church Fathers toward the Jews.
Let’s look at the historical progression:
The Church Fathers are those who followed after the original Apostles of Jesus the Christ. They wrote from the late first century to well into the fifth. They were primarily Bishops of larger cities. More often than not their writings were targeted toward non-Christian and/or anti-Christian beliefs and practices. The primary enemies they wrote against included Arians (who rejected the deity of the Messiah), Monotheists (One God), Pagans, Ebionites (who keep Jewish law and rejected Paul’s teachings) and Jews.
Church Fathers are a larger group that can be subdivided as follows:
Apostolic Fathers: Who often were the disciples of the Apostles; they wrote from 80-150 AD.
Theological Fathers: Who wrote at length on Christian doctrine; they wrote from 150-450 AD.
Apostolic Fathers:
The earliest writings we know of today from the Apostolic Fathers is the Church manual known as the Didache writing between 80-100 AD. Its primary content deals with the proper behavior of a Christian.
The first notable Apostolic Father is Clement, bishop of Rome. He is believed to be a disciple of Peter and Paul. He wrote First Epistle of Clement (the Second Epistle of Clement is not believed to have been written by Clement) around 97 AD. Clement makes no notable reference toward Jews or Israel in his writings.
Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna was believed to be a disciple of John. He wrote a lot letters making little reference to Judaism. He does however, make mention and portrays a high regard for a contemporary, Ignatius. Ignatius was the bishop of Antioch (present day Syria) and was martyred in 107 AD and tended to be anti-semitic in his writings. Polycarp was martyred in 107 AD; the book known as Martyrdom of Polycarp (author unknown) states that Jews played a large role in him being burned alive at the stake.
The Epistle of Barnabas, has been universally rejected as being written by the Apostle Barnabas, neither is it accepted as being an authoritative Apostolic Father writing. This Epistle was written in early, 96-98 AD. It, vilifies the Jews.
The last of the Apostolic Father’s writing is known as the Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus, written between 150-200 AD. In this letter Mathetes makes it clear that Judaism and Christianity are totally separate. He claims that Jewish acts are folly. He calls Jewish practices ridiculous and unworthy of notice. He also considers Jews as busy-bodies and boastful.
--In this he raises anti-Semitism a new level; by criticizing Jewish people personally.
Theological Fathers:
This is a period of time in which Christianity spreads beyond Roman Empire and it encounters opposition from without and within. It is a period of time in which the Church is wrestling with Paganism, Greek Humanism and Judaism. The Theological Fathers used the pen to fight against these enemies. They range from Justin Martyr in the mid-second century to Augustine and Jerome of the early-fifth century.
Justin Martyr wrote, Conversation with Trypho the Jew in the 140s AD. Justin states (Chapter 16) “Indeed the custom of circumcising the flesh, handed down from Abraham, was given to you as a distinguishing mark, to set you off from other nations and from us Christians. The purpose of this was that you and only you might suffer the afflictions that are now justly yours… Your circumcision of the
flesh is the only mark by which you can certainly be distinguished from other men. …tribulations were justly imposed upon you, for you have murdered the Just One, and His prophets before Him;”
By the end of the second century and beginning of the third, a new issue reared its ugly head in the Church and thereby captivated the writings of most of the Theological Fathers, i.e., Gnosticism.
Gnosticism is ancient and rooted in Hellenism, the concept of two separate worlds, the material and the spiritual. The material is evil; the spiritual, good. Gnosticism influenced Christian thinkers and challenged the prevailing theology of many Orthodox Christian leaders.
There were primarily two bishop/theologians who wrote against gnostic ideas: Iraeneus and Tertullian.
Gnosticism as taught by Marcion, stated that there were two gods: The God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament. The God of the New Testament was far superior to the God of the Old Testament. Therefore, the God of the Old Testament pertained to the material world and was represented by the Jews. The God of the New Testament pertained to the spiritual, and Jesus Christ rescued all humanity from the material world and the Jews.
Iraeneus responded to Gnosticism in his work, Against Heresies (180 AD.). He said, “God had a plan for the Jews, who were to prepare themselves and the world for the coming of Christ. However, they rejected and murdered him. Because the Jews rejected God’s provision, God granted their inheritance to the Gentiles alone. Jews who boast of being Israel are disinherited from the grace of God. They are no longer useful.”
Tertullian similarly argued against Gnosticism. Tertullian suggested that “the commandments of the Torah are degrading and unworthy of an enlightened
people. It was given to the Jews to curb idolatry and greed, which were unique Jewish characteristics not shared by the rest of the human race. Their “trail of crimes” culminated in the killing of Christ. Jews were always unworthy of election; now they have lost it. God’s choice was transferred to the Gentiles, who are capable of living at a higher level than the Jews.”
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage (200-258 AD). He wrote numerous treatises including a lengthy one called Treatises Against the Jews. One thing that made Cyprian unique was that he demanded that Jews be expelled from his diocese at the point of the sword.
Eusebius (4th-century Historian – wrote: Ecclesiastical History) said,
“Judaism, however, has no merit and is a threat to the Church.” He also promoted propaganda of Greek and pagan anti-Semitic diatribes by accusing Jews of crucifying Christians during Purim to show their rejection of Jesus as Messiah. This later lends itself to the ritual murder charges trumped up by priests during the Middle Ages against the Jews; believed to have resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands of Jews.
John Chrysostom (Bishop of Constantinople (the most powerful bishopric in the Eastern Empire) in 397 AD) wrote homilies against the Jews in the late fourth century.
Phillip Schaff’s made the following comment about Chrysostom in his classical and exhaustive 19TH century work, History of the Christian Church: “John, to whom an admiring posterity since the seventh century has given the name Chrysostomus, the Golden-Mouthed, is the greatest expositor and preacher of the Greek church, and still enjoys the highest honor in the whole Christian world. No one of the Oriental Fathers has left a more spotless reputation; no one is so much read and so often quoted by modern commentators.”
Regardless of his reputation, Chrysostom made the following statements in one of his treatises: “The Jews are the most worthless of all men. They are lecherous [addicted to lewdness], greedy, rapacious [given over to violent robbery]. They are perfidious [treacherous vow breakers] murderers of Christ. They worship the devil, their religion is a sickness. The Jews are the odious [hateful, deserving hatred] assassins of Christ and for killing God there is no expiation [forgiveness] possible, no indulgence [allowances] or pardon. Christians may never cease vengeance, and the Jew must live in servitude forever. God always hated the Jews. It is incumbent upon all Christians to hate the Jews.”
What made these statements even more dangerous was that at this time in history they could be acted upon with either State sanction or, at the very least, State acquiescence. To that point, just a few years latter synagogues were ransacked, Jewish property was destroyed and Jewish rights within the Empire were very limited. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, wrote to Emperor Theodosius, “I hereby declare, that it was I who set fire to the synagogue; indeed, I gave the orders for it to be done so that there should no longer be any place where Christ is denied.”
Contemporaries of Chrysostom were Augustine, (notably the most influential of all the Fathers), and Jerome, the translator of the Bible into the Latin, called the Vulgate. The two often corresponded by letter. In the late 390’s Jerome apparently had written a treatise on the Book of Galatians, which Augustine criticizes. Jerome strongly opposed Augustine’s view of Galatians.
Books such as Matthew and James were considered for rejection from being canonized by some because they thought they were too Jewish.
Adam Clarke said in reference to Romans 11:18, “You have not been the means of deriving any blessing on the Jewish people; but through that very people, which you may be tempted to despise, all the blessing and excellencies which you enjoy have been communicated to you.”
God even told the Israelites “You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were strangers in their land.” – Deuteronomy 23:8
Jesus was Jewish; the majority of the Word of God was written in Hebrew, the language of the Jews. God made covenant with Jews and when that covenant waxed old He grafted in the Gentiles into the New Testament covenant with the Jews.
Romans 11:13-23 “13- For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: 14- If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh [Jews], and might save some of them. 15- For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 16- For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. 17- And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou [Gentiles], being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them [Jews], and with them [Jews] partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; 18- Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 19- Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that
I might be graffed in. 20- Well; because of unbelief they [Jews] were broken off, and thou [Gentiles] standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: 21- For if God spared not the natural branches [Jews], take heed lest he also spare not thee [Gentiles]. 22- Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them [Jews] which fell, severity; but toward thee [Gentiles], goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou [Gentiles] also shalt be cut off. 23- And they [Jews] also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them [Jews] in again.”
The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament.
Ephesians 2:11-22 “11- Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12- That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens
from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13- But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14- For he is our peace [Hebrew equivalent: Shalom, meaning complete.], who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15- Having abolished in his [Jesus’] flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace [Shalom]; 16- And that he might reconcile both [Jew and Gentile] unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17- And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18- For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 19- Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20- And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21- In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22- In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
“In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem [tzitzit, fringe] of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.’ ” (Zech. 8:23)
