WHAT!! …Christian Antisemitism’?!?! -4

     I believe one of the reasons the Church has not been as effective in doing the Great Commission is because we have not done it in THE WAY that Jesus commanded(Mat28:18-20)---to the Jew first (Rom1:16). Christian apathy has resulted in most churches having no relationship or connection with the Jews nor Israel. Just ask yourself the following question, does the pastor of your church preach about God’s “forever” calling upon Israel(2Sam7:24)? If not, why not? How is this evil even possible when the order of the Great Commission demands the gospel to go to the Jew FIRST?!?!
  However, I also believe that neglecting to take the gospel to the Jew FIRST is sin, and all sin, especially impenitent sin darkens (Lu11:34-35), obstructing further understanding, spiraling downward into further sin…and so on---aka lasciviousness (Gal5:19). Therefore, a consequence of the sin of neglecting to take the gospel to the Jew first has led downward into the sin of ‘Christian antisemitism’; and to say that its’ effect on both the Jew and Church has been, and is horrific…is vastly understated!!!
 
  Now…back to the topic at hand!
 
  Let’s continue from the last tidbit with author Edward Flannery quoting two more “Christians” who possessed antisemitic views. On page 50 of his book ‘The Anguish of the Jews’, he writes, “St Gregory of Nyssa (331-396AD), with wanton eloquence, describes the Jews as “slayers of the Lord, murderers of the prophets, enemies of God, haters of God, adversaries of grace, enemies of their fathers’ faith, advocates of the devil, brood of vipers, slanderers, scoffers, men of darkened minds, leaven of the Pharisees, congregation of demons, sinners, wicked men, stoners, and haters of good.”
 “St Gregory makes it abundantly clear that this century has added a new note of contempt to the Christian image of the Jew. St Jerome (340-420AD) meanwhile still exemplifies the strange ambivalence that marked the Christian attitude at this time: while continuing his personal relations with rabbis and even seeking lessons in Hebrew from them, he upbraids Jews in his writings as serpents, haters of all men, Judases. Their Psalms and prayers, he states, are the “braying of donkeys” and “they curse Christians in their synagogues.””
  Let’s examine the words of these two Christian “saints”. After reading his statement, the similarities of words used make it obvious that St Gregory takes some of his views from Jesus in Matthew 23. However, remember that all error possesses a modicum of truth; for even when the devil lies, he must use truth. If we look at Matthew 23, the context is a rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees for their hypocrisy. For example, in Matthew 23:29, Jesus calls the Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites; in Matthew 23:30,31 He reminds them of their being sons of those who murdered the prophets. In Matthew 23:33, He calls them serpents and vipers; in verse 34, He again reminds them of their murderous ways, along with those whom they beat and persecuted in their synagogues. I repeat, both St Gregory and St Jerome use some of Jesus words in Matthew 23—to attempt to support their antisemitism.
  However, what both “saints” miss is that after Jesus harshly rebukes the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:1-36, He turns the context to the purpose of His rebuke in verses 37-39…which is Israel. In other words, in these three short verses, in the same context of His rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus laments over ‘Jerusalem’, by which he means ‘Israel’. In other words, Jesus uses a word picture of a hen gathering her chicks to herself to remind Israel—including these scribes and Pharisees—that although they are all guilty of murdering the prophets—like He sovereignly put away David’s sin with Bathsheba, He will also put away Israel’s sin! When? When they say “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”(23:39 taken from Ps118:26). And Why? Because of His ‘forever’ covenant with the Jew(Jer31:34-37)!
  David’s prayer in 2Samuel 7:22-24 perfectly illustrates God’s unique calling upon Israel, while simultaneously revealing the errors of Gregory and Jerome:
22.Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
23.And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?
24.For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel to be a people unto thee for ever: and thou, LORD, art become their God.
 
  First, David establishes his prayer upon the very Sovereignty of God in verse 22. In other words, David is declaring that everything I’m about to pray has its’ origin in:
a.The Greatness of God; which itself originates in…
b.The uniqueness of God, Who alone rules, having no equal!
  Second, and most profound, are verses 23 and 24, where the Bible declares 5 different times:
              1.“whom God went to redeem to be his people”
              2.“to make him a name”
              3.“whom thou redeemedst to Thee from Egypt”
              4.“Thou hast confirmed to Thyself your people Israel”
              5.“to be a people unto thee forever”
These incredible…marvelous…unbelievable statements teach that God links Israel as a people with “HIMSELF” i.e.the very NATURE of God!!!
 In other words, God declares because there is no other God beside Him; and because He is the only Sovereign—He made Israel His own! In other words again, in the same way ‘as’ there is no other God—the Sovereign God reserved Israel for Himself!
  God has never made a statement like this about another people! This revelation alone destroys antisemitism…by offering God’s strong opinion on His people…Israel!!!
 
  On the contrary, where antisemitism exists, the Bible offers the reason:
“Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint…” (Pro29:18NIV)…and I repeat, “casting off restraint” was the error of Gregory and Jerome.
 
 
Quotebit
"Pray until you can pray; pray to be helped to pray and do not give up praying because you cannot pray. For it is when you think you cannot pray that is when you are praying."  
-Charles Spurgeon