by Dan Juster (reposted with permission)
We have become involved in an effort to see a broad representation of the Church come to terms with its anti-Messianic Jewish past. This past is rooted in the second century Church, and was actually made part of Church law in the Church councils. As Peter Hocken wrote in his amazing book The Glory and the Shame, the Church is cursed with division until it reconciles with Israel. However, it cannot fully reconcile with Israel without dealing with its historic rejection of the Messianic Jewish community in the early centuries of this era. The Church’s rejection of the Messianic Jewish community was the first Church split. This split led in turn to other Church Splits; hence the Church is cursed with division. The resolution of the later Church splits requires repentance and returning to a first century understanding of the Bible in its original Jewish context. Peter Hocken believes that one of the purposes of the Messianic Jewish movement is to be the resurrection of the Messianic Jewish community from the dead, and to be a living body of believers with whom the Church can effect repentance and reconciliation. I was quite amazed to read this in Peter’s book, for at the time he wrote the book, he had never attended a Messianic Jewish congregation or conference. John Dawson writes in Healing America’s Wounds, that the reconciliation of Israel and the Church will heal the greatest of all wounds and bring a great world harvest.
The Intercessory Key
Keys to effecting reconciliation are, first of all, our own repentance; and secondly, representational intercession for the Church, the Messianic Jewish component of the Church, and the Jewish community. In intercession, prayer warriors representing various streams of the Church renounce the sins of decisions and actions in Church history and intercede for Israel and the Church. However, we need to gain accurate information on this history to intercede rightly. This is why we have worked on the most basic Latin texts! Our research greatly added to the accuracy of our understanding. It is an amazing story.
The Progression of anti-Messianic Judaism
In the first century, the Messianic Jewish movement was accepted not only as legitimate, but the Jerusalem congregation was looked at as mother to the whole Church. There was no question as to the legitimacy of Jewish life in Yeshua because it was known to be the apostolic life pattern.
A first and important step in the separation between Jew and Gentile was the decision of the leadership of the Jewish community to reject the witness of the Apostles to the resurrection of Yeshua which came with great confirming signs and wonders. During the discussion of the Rabbinical Council of Yavneh, (near Tiberias) Simon the Lesser volunteered to write a malediction condemning the Messianic Jews (Nazarenes). This malediction was to be added to one of the central prayers of Judaism, the Sh’mona Ezra (the Eighteenth Benediction). This prayer is also called the Amidah, because it is always recited standing. The Messianic Jews could not continue to stand during this portion of the prayer, for by doing so they would be cursing themselves. By this they were identified and excluded from the Synagogue. This paved the way for the perverse agreement between the Church and the Synagogue, despite all their disagreement, on the rejection of Messianic Jewish identity. In the Bar Kochba Revolt, the Jewish community was further divided from the Messianic Jews when the leading rabbi of the day, Akiba, proclaimed Bar Kochba the Messiah. He in turn sought to eliminate all who would not follow him. The Church and the Synagogue agreed that “He who would be both Christian and Jew can be neither Christian nor Jew.” The Jewish community in Israel recently reaffirmed this stance in four supreme court cases. In the first, Father Daniel, a Roman Catholic priest, was denied citizenship in Israel in spite of his Jewish birth. In the second, Esther Dorflinger was denied citizenship because she was a part of the Church and believed in Jesus. In the third, James Hutchins was denied citizenship because his conversion to Judaism was said to be invalid because he was a believer in Jesus. In the last, Gary and Shirley Beresford were denied citizenship because they believe that Yeshua (Jesus) was the Messiah. They had not been baptized in any Church context. Therefore, Messianic Jews intercede for their people to repent for their rejection of the Gospel and for their official stance to Jewish believers in Yeshua.
After the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jewish people, Church fathers took a decidedly negative stance toward the Jewish people. As part of this stand, they began to reject the propriety of Jewish life in the New Covenant. As Justin Martyr stated, keeping the Torah did not mean that the Jewish believer was lost, but it was not right. (In his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, quoted in James Parkes’ The Conflict of the Church and the Synagogue and Hugh Schoenfeld, A History of Jewish Christianity). Can we begin to see how amazing it is that the Church fathers who were not born Jewish were rejecting the life pattern of the Jewish Apostles as illegitimate? Toward the end of the second century, Pope Victor of Rome, in intense written debate with Polycrates, Bishop of Antioch, forbade the use of the Jewish lunar calendar for dating Christian holy days. Polycrates was incredulous. How could he forbid the practices that were directly passed down by the Apostles? This was the first Church stance which forbade Jewish practice in the Church under penalty of exclusion from the Church. The issue of setting dates according to the Jewish lunar calendar was one of several issues leading to the split of the western and eastern Churches centuries later.
These attitudes continued to spread; though according to the writings of Norwegian Lutheran scholar Oscar Skarsonae, there was still a positive regard for Jewish people among many of the people of the Church. This was a threat to some Church leaders. Chrysostem’s infamous hateful Eight Sermons Against the Jews is well known. However, some are not aware that Augustine taught that although the Apostles continued to live a Jewish life, once the Church was established, it was heinous to continue to do so. Imagine, it was said to be heinous to continue in the apostolic life pattern!
During the period from the second to the fourth century, the attitudes of Church leaders hardened. This led to the first council decisions that officially rejected Jews who believed in Jesus and who continued to identify as Jews. In the fourth century, regional councils in Elvira and Toledo, Spain explicitly rejected Jewish life. In the great universal Council of Nicea I, the rejection of Passover as the time of celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus was made official. This, of course, impinged upon Messianic Jews although they were not referred to directly in the Council Canons. The letter of Constantine on the Council made clear the rejection of Jewish practices as a council motivation. By the sixth and seventh centuries, Spain had already greatly hardened its attitude into anti-Semitism. More Church councils making decisions against Jewish life in Jesus were held in Toledo than in any other location. This was over a course of several centuries. While many are familiar with the decree in 1492 demanding that all Jews either convert to Christianity or leave Spain, most do not know that Spanish rulers also made such decisions in the seventh century.
Nicea II, in the eighth century, officially banned Jewish life in Jesus. All who continued to practice circumcision, Sabbath observance or other Hebrew rites were to be banned from the Church. Many think that the first Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. precluded Jews from Jewish life in Jesus. However, there is no canon of this council explicitly dealing with this issue. Apparently, many have confused Nicea I and Nicea II. Only universal councils were universally received and became binding to the whole Church. Regional councils, such as Toledo, Elvira, Antioch and Laodocia making such decisions against Jewish life in Yeshua had influence, but did not become universal law. Nicea II provides us with universal law. The text translated from the Latin follows:
“Because those from the Hebrew religion have been deceived, they seem to mock Christ as God, pretending to become Christians, but they deny him as they openly and secretly keep the Sabbath and follow other practices in the manner of the Jews. We determine that they are not to be received into communion, nor into prayer, nor in the Church, but the Hebrews are manifestly according to their own religion: their children are not to be baptized; nor is a slave to be purchased or acquired. But if anyone of them will convert out of a sincere faith and heart and will make a profession of faith with all his heart, disclosing their customs and practices so that others might be exposed and corrected, he is to be received and baptized, and also his children; but indeed we decree that they are to be observed so that they depart from Hebrew practices, otherwise they are not to be admitted at all.”
Canon VIII. That the Hebrews should not be received if they have not yet been converted out of a pure heart. (A.D. 787)
This is amazing and did reflect the orientations of previous centuries. The official doctrine of the Church never said that the Jewish people were to be exterminated. Jews were to be the subject of discrimination, and could somewhat escape this by converting. Suspicion often remained anyway. However, the decisions of the Church destroyed the possibility of the existence of the true spiritual bridge between the Church and the Synagogue. Without this bridge, appreciation of the irrevocable gift and call to the Jewish people was denied (Romans 11:29).
The Inquisition
The Inquisition in the Middle Ages established the means to enforce Church orthodoxy by civil power. In 1231, Pope Gregory IX created a special court to investigate suspects and force heretics to change their beliefs. In 1542, the Congregation of the Holy Office controlled the Inquisition. Some suspects were tortured, and heretics who refused to change their beliefs were sentenced to die by burning. Even some who repented of heresy could be burned at the stake. This especially affected Jewish Christians. Spain, in 1492, passed the law that all Jews had to be expelled unless they converted to Christianity. In converting, they were expected to renounce their people and all Jewish practice. There were official pledges to be signed. Such conversion pledges were first written centuries before, and are included in our attachments. Most Jews fled Spain. Many feigned conversion and were called Morranos. Some who sincerely believed wanted to continue Jewish practice. The penalty for either group was to be burned at the stake for Judaizing.
We can easily see how such reactions with the rejection of the Messianic Jewish expression of the New Covenant had awesome implications that played out on the stage of history. The Institutional Church thereby became an accomplice to the most wretched crimes – from the Crusades and their massacres of Jews along the routes to the Holy Land, to the pogroms (massacres) of Tsarist Russia. In the climactic horror of the Nazi Holocaust, the Germans could look to the Church tradition for their justification. Hitler could quote Luther.
The Significance of this History
Why is this important to us? It is because God established an order through which the world would be redeemed. This order begins with the irrevocable calling to Abraham’s physical/national seed. By this order, all who are grafted in from the nations are to recognize and honor their spiritual roots in Israel. Therefore, scripture gives a clear plan from God. It is the call of the whole Church, both Jewish and Gentile membership, to make Israel jealous. God has shown mercy to the Gentiles that they might show mercy to the Jewish people. Salvation has come to the Gentiles for the purpose of making Israel jealous (Romans 11:11-14, 30-33). Success in the mission to the Gentiles is to lead to greater success in the mission to the Jewish people. Success among the Jewish people is to lead to greater success among the nations (Gentiles). It is no accident that the restoration of physical Israel, the change in attitudes of the Church toward Israel and the Jewish people, and greater success in world evangelism have all come during the same period of time. The Puritans first began to favor Jewish people. The pietist Lutheran movement incorporated love for the Jewish people and their salvation as a key tenant in the 18th century. This was the background of Count Zinzendorf’s prayer movement for world missions. The revivals in Europe in the 19th century led to new effort in Jewish missions and even to the acceptance of some (though limited) expression of Jewish identity among Jewish believers. This period saw Frederick William of Prussia, with Lutheran leadership to back him, spur the effort to establish a Jewish Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem. This effort received the support of Queen Victoria who was backed by Parliamentary legislation. This reflected a significant and deepening British history whereby a growing number since the Puritans believed that the United Kingdom was called to play a role in the restoration of the Jewish people to their ancient land. During this period the first Hebrew Christian Alliance of Jewish believers was formed in England. In addition, some leading churchmen supported the effort of Joseph Rabinowitz to found the first Messianic Jewish Synagogue in Kishinev, Russia at the end of the 19th century. In 1907, the American Episcopal Church officially endorsed the formation of Hebrew Christian Churches. This was a result of the efforts of Mark John Levy, who truly believed in Jewish life in Jesus. However, these efforts did not produce a lasting movement of Jewish people who lived a Jewish life in Yeshua.
Only now, at the end of the 20th century, we have the revival of a significant Messianic Jewish movement worldwide. More and more segments of the Church are endorsing this movement. Attachments are included from the Fuller Seminary School of World Missions statement and the Willowbank Evangelical Declaration. These are official statements, the latter from an ad hoc group of Evangelical leaders. Few statements have been made at this point. We now involve ourselves in significant efforts so that the Church would officially repudiate no only anti-Semitism, but also anti-Messianic Judaism. Only thereby can we see a large number of Jewish people saved. Only thereby can we see reconciliation that leads to the healing of the divisions in the Church, the conclusion of world evangelism, the salvation of all Israel and life from the dead (Romans 11:15). Surely, Peter Hocken hit the mark and was in the Spirit when he saw these truths. This is why I spent time looking at Latin texts. It is part of the project of those gatherings during which the false doctrines and practices will be renounced. Also, the curses brought upon Israel and the Church will be lifted, and the blessing of God will return in wonderful fullness to both. There will be restitution as well when one of the foci of prayer and giving from the Church is to establish and expand the saved remnant of Israel – the Messianic Jewish congregational movement.
– Daniel Juster
Catholic University Research for Toward Jerusalem Council II
Acknowledgments to Rev. Peter Hocken and John Dillon, Ph.D.
- Separate Church Fathers’ statements from unofficial stance. Their decrees are binding in the cities where they held authority as Bishops. Examples are Ambrose, Chrysostem. Much later, take note of Luther’s writing, Against the Jews and their Lies.
- Pope Victor’s statement condemning the use of the Jewish Calendar for dating Christian Holy Days. Rome, 175.
- Ecumenical Councils generally silent on these issues in their canons until the Council of Nicea II, in 787 A.D. Local Councils form important background to Nicea II. Nicea I position on the dating for celebrating of Passover does reject Jewish biblical dating, and thereby excluded the Jewish believers. Constantine’s letter on the Council made this clear.
Elvira, Spain (306 A.D.)
Canon 16: If heretics are unwilling to bring themselves across to the Catholic Church, young Catholic girls are not to be given to them. And it was not pleasing to give them to Jews or heretics, for the reason that there can be no fellowship between the faithful and the unfaithful. If their parents should act contrary to this decree, it is pleasing that they be deprived form communion for five years.
Canon 49: (Vol. II Mansi ed.) It was pleasing that owners be warned that they may not enjoy their fruits which they recognize coming from God which have been blessed by the Jews lest they make for our blessing to be voice and without power. If any one should take it upon themselves to do this after this interdict, let them be hurled far from the Church.
Canon 50: If indeed any cleric or member of the faithful will share a feast (food-meat) with the Jews, it was pleasing that he abstain form communion because he ought to be corrected.
Antioch (345 A.D.)
Canon 1 – second part: If anyone of these men who is the head of a church, whether it be a bishop, a presbyter or a deacon will dare after this decree to act separately for the subversion of the peoples and the disturbance of the Churches and celebrate Pasca with the Jews, the holy synod judges him to be apart from the Church in order that they might be not only a cause of sin for themselves, but also a cause of destruction and subversion of many others. And this synod not only disposes them from ministry, but those who dare to communicate with them after disposition. Those who are deposed are to be deprived of even external honor, those who were partakers of holy order and the priesthood of God. (Note: this decree would not have been written as Skarsonae says were it not for the fact that some clergy and laymen had positive relations with Jews, and I would add even some Messianic Jews? Let us recall the apostolic tradition that was laid in Antioch!)
Laodocia (360 A.D.)
Canon 37: That it is not permitted to receive festivals which are by Jews or heretics nor hold a festival together with them.
Canon 38: That it is not permitted to receive unleavened bread from the Jews nor to share in their impieties.
Agde, France (506 A.D.)
Canon 34: If the Jews wish to become Catholics as it is well known that they return easily to their vomit, they must remain a catechumenate for 8 months before being baptized. Only in danger of death will they anticipate the time of their baptism.
Canon 40: Clerics must not take part in Jewish festivals.
Toledo IV (633 A.D.) (Note: these decrees were repeated in many other councils at Toledo over the centuries)
Under the leadership of Lord and most excellent King Sinentus this sacred council decided that the Jews or those who are of Jewish extraction (Jewish Christians) may in no way hold public office because on that occasion they have done injury to Christians. And therefore the judges of the provinces with the priests are to suspend their fraudulent undertakings and not permit them to hold public office. If any of the judges, however, would permit this, let excommunication be passed upon them as if on one who has committed sacrilege.
Toledo X
Canon 1: Easter must be celebrated uniformly.
Nicea II (787 A.D.)
Canon VIII: Because those from the Hebrew religion have been deceived they seem to mock Christ as God, pretending to become Christians, but they deny him as they openly and secretly keep the Sabbath and follow other practices in the manner of the Jews. We determine That they are not to be received into communion, nor into prayer, nor into the Church; but the Hebrews are manifestly according to their own religion: their children are not to be baptized; nor is a slave to be purchased or acquired. But if anyone of them will convert out of a sincere faith and heart and will make a profession of faith with all his heart, disclosing their customs and practices so that others might be exposed and corrected, he is to be received and baptized, and also his children, but indeed we decree that they are to be observed so that they depart from Hebrew practices, otherwise they are not to be admitted at all.