Posted on 11/22/2016 6:58:45 PM PST by marshmallow
(RNS) Tackling a delicate issue as it begins its yearlong celebration of the Reformation’s 500th anniversary, Germany’s main Protestant church has officially renounced its mission to convert Jews to Christianity.
In practice, the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), made up of 20 regional Lutheran, Reformed and United churches, mostly gave up efforts to convert Jews in the decades after the Holocaust, and closing that chapter should have been a formality.
But officially abandoning the “Judenmission,” or Mission to the Jews, turned out to be theologically complicated.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gave his Apostles the Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations.” And small groups of evangelicals in a few member churches have long opposed an official statement against conversion, despite calls from Jewish groups to issue one.
The EKD’s annual synod, which it calls its “church parliament,” finally drew up a resolution that was passed unanimously on Nov. 9 in Magdeburg. It said that Christians “are not called to show Israel the path to God and his salvation.”
(Excerpt) Read more at religionnews.com ...
I am of the opinion that the Great Commandment does not include an exception for anyone.
[The EKD’s annual synod, which it calls its “church parliament,” finally drew up a resolution that was passed unanimously on Nov. 9 in Magdeburg. It said that Christians “are not called to show Israel the path to God and his salvation.”]
They must have missed ROMANS 11:11-31
Romans 11:11-31
11 Did God’s people stumble and fall beyond recovery? Of course not! They were disobedient, so God made salvation available to the Gentiles. But he wanted his own people to become jealous and claim it for themselves. 12 Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.
13 I am saying all this especially for you Gentiles. God has appointed me as the apostle to the Gentiles. I stress this, 14 for I want somehow to make the people of Israel jealous of what you Gentiles have, so I might save some of them. 15 For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead! 16 And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy—just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too.
17 But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.
19 “Well,” you may say, “those branches were broken off to make room for me.” 20 Yes, but remember—those branches were broken off because they didn’t believe in Christ, and you are there because you do believe. So don’t think highly of yourself, but fear what could happen. 21 For if God did not spare the original branches, he won’t spare you either.
22 Notice how God is both kind and severe. He is severe toward those who disobeyed, but kind to you if you continue to trust in his kindness. But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off. 23 And if the people of Israel turn from their unbelief, they will be grafted in again, for God has the power to graft them back into the tree. 24 You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong.
God’s Mercy Is for Everyone
25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,
“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,
and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
27
And this is my covenant with them,
that I will take away their sins.”
28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share in God’s mercy.
In my home town there was a Jew whose family came from Austria. He was one of the best and most active Christians I knew.
He worked closely with Southern Baptist Missionaries and put his money where his heart was. I don’t know if he converted or maybe his family had already done so when he was born.
I worked at a Christian Assembly in the Mountains and he would always come up for Foreign Missions Week. I would get to catch up on home town news.
Yes, but you would be a Bible-believing Christian if you think that so you can’t be a leader in a “Christian” denomination. ;-)
Participating in heresy.
Good. Jesus and the disciples ministered to Jews & converts about Judaism. Paul an apostle ministered to gentiles about his gentile version of things. There’s no decree by Jesus to convert jews to Paulinism.
Nail that to every Lutheran church door in America.
There is no such thing as Paulism. Paul’s mission was to the Jew and the Gentile. Originally Peter sought only to convert Jews but he later realized that Paul was right.
It was Peter to whom God first gave a vision that Gentiles should be admitted to the Church. He then converted the first Gentiles (the household of Cornelius). It was St. Paul who, sent by the Church at Antioch to carry the Gospel to Jews starting in Cyprus, found himself converting also (even mostly) Gentiles, and thus became the Apostle to the Gentiles.
.
Just following Bergoglio’s lead.
They're saying some people have Salvation through their acceptance of Christ while others have their Salvation through their rejection of Christ.
Well put; giving up on conversion of ANY non-Christian is denying them eternal life (and not a positive thing). Jesus Himself certainly made clear that the route to His Father was through Him alone - and He didn’t make any exception for His own people (the Jews).
This lie will consign many unsaved Jews to the lake of fire. The new covenant replaced the old covenant (Hebrews 7:11-28). Salvlation is by grace through faith, not of works.
Unless the Jew believes that Jesus Christ is he (the Messiah), they shall die in their sins. (John 8:24). They seek to be saved by works (through the law), which was never the case, but rather their misunderstanding. (Romans 9:31-33)
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; 33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved:
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:10-12)
Refusing to evangelize Jews specifically? The ultimate anti-Semitic hate crime.
“I give this two thumbs up” - “Pope” Francis
That's pathetic!!!
Now if they had done this because Judaism is the True Religion that would be great. However, they could no longer remain Protestants--or chrstians--and would have to become Noachides.
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