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To: Matchett-PI
To be sure, Reformed unity theology raises questions that need to be explored further. For example, Reformed theologians still have not reached much consensus on the status of physical descendants of believers after multiple generations have passed with little or no evidence of saving faith.... This passage asserts that a special status of some sort continues for Jews who are distant physical descendants of the Old Testament believers. Perhaps a similar status applies to Gentiles with Christian ancestry as well, but this issue remains to be explored more fully in the Reformed tradition. Despite a number of lingering uncertainties, Reformed theologians unquestionably affirm continuity between the visible people of God in both Testaments.

They sound confused, too much extrabiblical fuzzy genetics. It should be called scrambled eggs theology.

According to scholar Iskar Skarsaune, the Puritan movement was rooted in the theology of John Calvin. It maintained a concern, as Calvin, for the understanding of Biblical texts in context. The basis for interpretation was to be the intent of the author in writing, as his writing would be understood by the audience of the time, in the original languages. However, in the 16th century Puritans there was a widespread rediscovery of God's love for the Jewish people. It was taught that the Jewish people were still chosen and would be grafted back into their own Olive tree. Some even taught that the Jewish people would return to the Land of Israel and some saw a return even before the return of Yeshua. (Jesus). Whether or not there was a hope of a Zionist return, there was a future hope for the Jewish people.

This Puritan emphasis spread to Germany and the Lutheran Pietists, who broke from Luther's anti-Semitism. It was well understood that Israel was chosen. This was the soil of the discipleship of the great leader Count Ludwig Von Zinzendorf who founded the Moravian movement. Through him was birthed the great community of Hernhut and the 100 year prayer meeting for world missions. The Moravian vision spread to John Wesley and the Methodists. This story is told by Oskar Skarsaune in his book Israel's Friend in Norwegian. Indeed, the Scandinavian attahement to the Jewish people came from the same Pietist and Moravian influences.

This influence became so strong in the United Kingdom that the very religious and political culture came to the conclusion that it was the destiny of the United Kingdom to reestablish the nation of Israel in their own land. Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists all were committed to the Jewish people, their chosenness and their return to the land. Of course, not all agreed, but so great was the consensus that Parliament passed legislation to support the establishment of a new Jewish bishop in Jerusalem for they believed there must again be a believing Jewish Church in the Land of Israel.

Some mistakenly believe that a place for national Israel in theology was discovered by John Nelson Darby and his Dispensational Movement. This is not true. He grew up in the context of a church that was committed to the Jewish people. (This is an excerpt from a forthcoming book by Dan Juster, The Unknown Story).

Michael Servetus's ashes cry out against John Calvin

133 posted on 04/18/2002 9:30:15 AM PDT by Prodigal Daughter
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To: Prodigal Daughter
You still refuse to "get it". I must reluctantly conclude it's intentional as is typical of Arminian mentalities. Have fun. I'm sure I'll see you on all these sorts of threads when I show up to present equal time for those who live in the real world. :D
135 posted on 04/18/2002 9:40:03 AM PDT by Matchett-PI
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