Is the New Testament Anti-Semetic?

[Subrosa]

I am hoping to open a discussion with our Jewish neighbors concerning this article…
messiahtruth.com/anti.html.

Is this a view espoused by the Jewish community in general?
Are the views put forth on this page viable? Did the Christian New Testament contribute to anti-Semetism? Did it cause anti-semetism?

I think that this is important and should be openly discussed.

I pray that he love of God will shine upon all of us.
Subrosa

 

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

On Shabbat (from sundown Friday to nightfall Saturday), orthodox Jews don’t use most electric/electronic devices, including TVs, radios, phones & computers. (See jewfaq.org/shabbat.htm for a good introductory read.) And DW & I are usually way too busy on Friday dealing with Da Boyz and cooking & cleaning (both the flat & ourselves) for her to let me anywhere even remotely near the computer (beyond quick posts like this while I’m having my breakfast). So this is my long-winded way of saying that I will try to post a proper reply on Saturday night or Sunday. Thank you for your patience.

Be well!

ssv

 

[Matthew7vrs7]

It would be my lowly and humble opinion that the New Testament is not anti-Semetic for several reasons:

Most importantly, Jesus was Himself a Jew, as were all twelve apostles, and with the exception of Saul who became Paul, our Lord sent them to preach the gospel to the “children of Isreal”. To quote Jesus in Matthew the 10th Chapter…

10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them saying:
“Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Then we see that in Acts that Peter is instructed to go to Cornelius because of his vision…

Acts 10:28 And he said to them, “You yourselves are aware how it is not lawful or permissible for a Jew to keep company with or to visit or [even] to come near or to speak first to anyone of another nationality, but God has shown and taught me by words that I should not call any human being common or unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean.”

These sentiments seem to me to be offering peace (and of course Salvation of the Way) from God through these twelve Jewish people first to the Jew then the Gentile, and I cannot find any reason for any race or ethnic group to hate them for it. I know many think that anti-Semitism came from those who took issue (to put it very liberally) with the children of Israel putting Jesus to death (and they point to Pilate telling them that “His blood” was on their hands and he washed his own hands of it) but I think anyone who wants to hate will find reason and they do not speak for or in the authority of Christ.

I would guess that the roots of anti-Semitism come from the Old Testament era, specifically from the conquest and begining with Joshua, because strictly from an analytical point of view, they could be construed as barbarians and murderers. I believe it holds true, though, that all these things were given to them by God.

I also think jealousy, pride, and covetousness plays a big part in it!

 

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

We Jews are the original, quintessential, dissenters. Balaam prophesied (Numbers 23:9):

Lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

This, I think, is the root of anti-Semitism. This is what has caused individual pagans (Roman & Greek), Christians (Catholic, Orthodox & Protestant) & Muslims to hate us - our insistence on being different, on maintaining our own customs, our own beliefs, our own language, etc., our refusal to go with the flow and accept what others “know to be the truth.” The late scholar Michael Grant noted in his From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Hellinistic World (see tinyurl.com/3wx8b) that, “The Jews proved to be unassimilated and unassimilable.” Did you ever watch that old TV series Northern Exposure? In one episode, the town sponsored a grueling marathon for wheelchair-bound athletes. One of the competitors was plagued by her personal demon, External Validation (personified as a smartly dressed handsome young man named Oscar Pulitzer). One of the show’s regulars, Ed (whose personal demon was Low Self-Esteem, personified as an ugly little green man) tried to help her overcome her personal demon. I (the amateur psychologist) think that most people crave external validation. How do you know that you’re OK, right, etc.? What makes you feel secure in your beliefs? When everyone around you does as you do, believes as you do, acts as you do, and is as you are. But along comes someone who not only refuses to act, think or believe as you do, but refuses both bribes and threats to do so and is willing to endure degradation, humiliation or even death as the price of maintaining his own beliefs, customs, ways of thinking & acting, etc. This is the Jew!

I purposely wrote, “… individual pagans (Roman & Greek), Christians (Catholic, Orthodox & Protestant) & Muslims to hate us…” in the preceeding paragraph. Roman Catholicism (ferinstance) is no more inherently anti-Semitic than orthodox Judaism (ferinstance) is inherently anti-Roman Catholic. There is all too often a gulf between what our respective faiths teach regarding the other (tinyurl.com/6uwyh, tinyurl.com/5u67z & tinyurl.com/4fbwo), on the one hand, and what individual Catholics & Jews may believe regarding the other, on the other hand. All too often we may harbor prejudices and bigotries that contravene the “official” doctrines/beliefs of our faiths. While individual Christian and Islamic anti-Semites may twist certain elements of their respective faiths in order to give peculiarly Christian or Islamic spins on Jew-hatred, anti-Semitism is far older than either Christianity or Islam.

Are there verses in the “New Testament” that are not to our liking? Sure there are; this shouldn’t be news to anyone. (Ferinstance, we strongly object to the depiction of Pharisees as “hypocrites”; see tinyurl.com/3q3nq.) Subrosa, the particular views expressed in that article are those of its authors alone. As New York Daily News columnist Zev Chafets once wrote: “Most Christians are smart enough and reasonable enough to understand the distinction between Caiaphas and Jerry Seinfeld. It is insulting to suggest otherwise.”

The challenge for believing Jews & believing Catholics is to find ways to live together, cooperate & engage in meaningful dialogue right now, in the present. Personally, I am optimistic; see posts #5 & #6 at forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=81330.

Be well!

ssv

 

[Subrosa]

stillsmallvoice:

Hi all!

We Jews are the original, quintessential, dissenters. Balaam prophesied (Numbers 23:9):

This, I think, is the root of anti-Semitism. This is what has caused individual pagans (Roman & Greek), Christians (Catholic, Orthodox & Protestant) & Muslims to hate us - our insistence on being different, on maintaining our own customs, our own beliefs, our own language, etc., our refusal to go with the flow and accept what others “know to be the truth.” The late scholar Michael Grant noted in his From Alexander to Cleopatra: The Hellinistic World (see tinyurl.com/3wx8b) that, “The Jews proved to be unassimilated and unassimilable.” Did you ever watch that old TV series Northern Exposure? In one episode, the town sponsored a grueling marathon for wheelchair-bound athletes. One of the competitors was plagued by her personal demon, External Validation (personified as a smartly dressed handsome young man named Oscar Pulitzer). One of the show’s regulars, Ed (whose personal demon was Low Self-Esteem, personified as an ugly little green man) tried to help her overcome her personal demon. I (the amateur psychologist) think that most people crave external validation. How do you know that you’re OK, right, etc.? What makes you feel secure in your beliefs? When everyone around you does as you do, believes as you do, acts as you do, and is as you are. But along comes someone who not only refuses to act, think or believe as you do, but refuses both bribes and threats to do so and is willing to endure degradation, humiliation or even death as the price of maintaining his own beliefs, customs, ways of thinking & acting, etc. This is the Jew!

I purposely wrote, “… individual pagans (Roman & Greek), Christians (Catholic, Orthodox & Protestant) & Muslims to hate us…” in the preceeding paragraph. Roman Catholicism (ferinstance) is no more inherently anti-Semitic than orthodox Judaism (ferinstance) is inherently anti-Roman Catholic. There is all too often a gulf between what our respective faiths teach regarding the other (tinyurl.com/6uwyh, tinyurl.com/5u67z & tinyurl.com/4fbwo), on the one hand, and what individual Catholics & Jews may believe regarding the other, on the other hand. All too often we may harbor prejudices and bigotries that contravene the “official” doctrines/beliefs of our faiths. While individual Christian and Islamic anti-Semites may twist certain elements of their respective faiths in order to give peculiarly Christian or Islamic spins on Jew-hatred, anti-Semitism is far older than either Christianity or Islam.

Are there verses in the “New Testament” that are not to our liking? Sure there are; this shouldn’t be news to anyone. (Ferinstance, we strongly object to the depiction of Pharisees as “hypocrites”; see tinyurl.com/3q3nq.) Subrosa, the particular views expressed in that article are those of its authors alone. As New York Daily News columnist Zev Chafets once wrote: “Most Christians are smart enough and reasonable enough to understand the distinction between Caiaphas and Jerry Seinfeld. It is insulting to suggest otherwise.”

The challenge for believing Jews & believing Catholics is to find ways to live together, cooperate & engage in meaningful dialogue right now, in the present. Personally, I am optimistic; see posts #5 & #6 at forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=81330.

Be well!

ssv

Hi ssv!

I must say that your post is very heartening to read. Thank you for your response.

When I read the article, I understood it to be a personal opinion of the author(s). You point out the increasingly better relations between Christians and Jews as of late. I think it is because humanity is finally maturing.

Christians and Jews, along with other religious peoples have cohabitated the Holy Land for nearly two millenia. Tolerance in those two thousand years certainly has fluctuated. Let us hope that it will prevail.

As per ypur first post, I have Da Boy to deal with for now. We are off to church. I will return for further commentary.

G-d bless your household,
Subrosa

 

[Fidelis]

Still Small Voice–

Thank you for that wise, clear-eyed, and rational response.

 

[ben_dy]

Subrosa:

I am hoping to open a discussion with our Jewish neighbors concerning this article…
messiahtruth.com/anti.html.

Is this a view espoused by the Jewish community in general?
Are the views put forth on this page viable? Did the Christian New Testament contribute to anti-Semetism? Did it cause anti-semetism?

I think that this is important and should be openly discussed.

I pray that he love of God will shine upon all of us.
Subrosa

Even before I read the article, I knew that if the Gospels were going to be looked at Mark would contain the fewest number of ‘anti-Jewish’ references and John the greatest number and that it would be difficult to find anti-Jewish rhetoric within the Pauline epistles. All of which I find upon reading the article.

The author has completely failed, as I hope he would do studying Jewish canonical texts, to place the NT canonical texts in context leaving no room for exegesis.

While there are, certainly, instances of “defamatory anti-Jewish polemic” in the NT, the authors methods are so extraordinarily flawed as to be dismissible even at the grammar school level of study. His methodology is even worse and a,though the shortcomings are displayed throughout the document, no where is that more clearly seen than in his “Observations and Conclusions” and, most glaringly, in "“Table III-1 – Anti-Jewish polemic in the New Testament and in Christian lectionaries”. If the author had really offered anything to dissect, it could be done, but he doesn’t so one is left to half-heartedly refute that which is claimed to exist but for which little to no evidence is given while admitting that the New Testament does, in fact, contain some “anti-Jewish polemic” which did aid in the ‘reasoning’ that did lead to “historical acts of mass persecution” against Jews, which the author claims but did not, as I view the texts and the history of events, and I do not see how either Biblical texts that, admittedly, were and are anti-Semitic in that they call into question the practices and behavior of particular Jews and Jewish sects, or subsequent persecution based upon these texts “shared the motive” of the that program of genocide which we call the Holocaust.

There is no doubt that the within NT (and, in particular, in the ‘later writings’) have bad things to say about different individual Jews, Jewish sects and occupations, and a general tone that is specific to all Jews for not living up to their part of the covenant with God. There is no doubt, either, that some Christians continue to view this as a blatant obstinacy rather than a failure to understand - you don’t bring anyone to Christ through oppression (nor, God knows, extermination).

So I think that the article you cited can be dismissed and your question - " Is the New Testament anti-Semitic?" answered by saying that it is anti-everyone who does not accept Christianity and ‘pro’=everyone who did and who will. But I’ve yet to find a Biblical passage which specifically tells us that we are to murder those who will not believe. I don’t doubt that someone could find something and use it in that context, but, even then, I’ve never heard Nazis use NT verses to justify what they did to the Jewish people.

 

[Subrosa]

ben_dy:

Even before I read the article, I knew that if the Gospels were going to be looked at Mark would contain the fewest number of ‘anti-Jewish’ references and John the greatest number and that it would be difficult to find anti-Jewish rhetoric within the Pauline epistles. All of which I find upon reading the article.

The author has completely failed, as I hope he would do studying Jewish canonical texts, to place the NT canonical texts in context leaving no room for exegesis.

While there are, certainly, instances of “defamatory anti-Jewish polemic” in the NT, the authors methods are so extraordinarily flawed as to be dismissible even at the grammar school level of study. His methodology is even worse and a,though the shortcomings are displayed throughout the document, no where is that more clearly seen than in his “Observations and Conclusions” and, most glaringly, in "“Table III-1 – Anti-Jewish polemic in the New Testament and in Christian lectionaries”. If the author had really offered anything to dissect, it could be done, but he doesn’t so one is left to half-heartedly refute that which is claimed to exist but for which little to no evidence is given while admitting that the New Testament does, in fact, contain some “anti-Jewish polemic” which did aid in the ‘reasoning’ that did lead to “historical acts of mass persecution” against Jews, which the author claims but did not, as I view the texts and the history of events, and I do not see how either Biblical texts that, admittedly, were and are anti-Semitic in that they call into question the practices and behavior of particular Jews and Jewish sects, or subsequent persecution based upon these texts “shared the motive” of the that program of genocide which we call the Holocaust.

There is no doubt that the within NT (and, in particular, in the ‘later writings’) have bad things to say about different individual Jews, Jewish sects and occupations, and a general tone that is specific to all Jews for not living up to their part of the covenant with God. There is no doubt, either, that some Christians continue to view this as a blatant obstinacy rather than a failure to understand - you don’t bring anyone to Christ through oppression (nor, God knows, extermination).

So I think that the article you cited can be dismissed and your question - " Is the New Testament anti-Semitic?" answered by saying that it is anti-everyone who does not accept Christianity and ‘pro’=everyone who did and who will. But I’ve yet to find a Biblical passage which specifically tells us that we are to murder those who will not believe. I don’t doubt that someone could find something and use it in that context, but, even then, I’ve never heard Nazis use NT verses to justify what they did to the Jewish people.

Very well thought out answer, Ben -
I am sure that if one were to look in the Hebrew scripture, something negative could be found with respect to Israel.

For instance, in Isaiah, 41:14, we find “Fear not, O worm Jacob, O maggot Israel…” This certainly sounds negative. But is it anti-semetic? I think not.

Subrosa

 

[stillsmallvoice]

Hi all!

Subrosa & Fidelis, thank you for your kind words.

Subrosa:

I am sure that if one were to look in the Hebrew scripture, something negative could be found with respect to Israel.

And if you look in various rabbinical writings, you could find stuff that is unkind to Christians. (Of course, there are also rabbis who say positive things about Christianity; see forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?p=1062731#post1062731) But as my Dad says, “That and $0.50 will get you a cup of coffee.” But as I said, the challenge for believing Jews & believing Catholics is to find ways to live together, cooperate & engage in meaningful dialogue right now, in the present.

Anti-Semitism is indeed (as somebody once said) the oldest hatred. Indeed, hatred of us goes all the way back to our very dawn as a people, to the books of Genesis.

Genesis 26:12-16 says:

And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year a hundred-fold; and the Lord blessed him. And the man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great. And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household; and the Philistines envied him. Now all the wells which his father’s servants had digged in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth. And Abimelech said unto Isaac: 'Go from us; for you are much mightier than we.

Through a combination of his own industry and Divine blessing, Isaac becomes very wealthy. We can assume that his Philistine neighbors also benefited from Isaac’s success (from trading with him, etc.). Yet the text tells us that, “and the Philistines envied him.” There was no rational basis for their envy which eventually prompted their king, Abimelech, to tell Isaac:

'Go from us; for you are much mightier than we.

The Hebrew for the above phrase is lech meh-imanu ki atzamta mimennu maod. The last three Hebrew words are ambiguous and the phrase could be read as:

'Go from us; for you have grown strong from us

It is a principle of Judaism and of Jewish Biblical exegesis that (to quote our Sages): “The actions of the fathers are a sign to the children,” i.e. that the actions of our Patriarchs and ancestors in the scriptures are a paradigm and a model for subsequent Jewish history. Here, in these verses from Genesis, we see one of the models of anti-Semitism throughout Jewish history: The Jew as leech, as an economic bloodsucker. The Philistines envied Isaac’s material success and, if we accept the variant reading, accused him, leech-like, of taking from them and getting wealthy from them, even though the text testifies that Isaac did no such thing & that Isaac owed his wealth to God and to his own industry. Their irrational hatred of him (see Genesis 26:27) was such that even though Isaac’s presence in their midst was to their material benefit (via the wells of his father & through trading with him), they still expelled him, the first of many such expulsions that would follow in later eras.

(cont.)

 

[stillsmallvoice]

(cont.)

In Genesis 26, we see the first appearance of economically-based/justified anti-Semitism. Genesis 39 marks the first the first appearance of racial anti-Semitism.

After Joseph has resisted the seductive wiles of Potiphar’s wife and runs out of Potiphar’s house, Mrs. Potiphar summons the household slaves and relates to them her version of events, which she repeats to her husband, furthering altering the account of what actually happened. It is a principle of Jewish Biblical exegesis that there is no wasted or redundant ink in the scriptures & that we can learn much from seemingly trivial turns of phrase, subtle differences in the text and from the seeming repetitions of accounts. Genesis 39:12-13 tells us:

“…that she caught him by his garment, saying: ‘Lie with me.’ And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth…”

In Genesis 39:14-15, Mrs. Potiphar tells the other slaves:

“…that she called unto the men of her house, and spoke unto them, saying: ‘See, he [her husband]has brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice. And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled, and got him out.’”

In Genesis 39:17-18, Mrs. Potiphar tells her husband:

‘The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me. And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled out.’"

Note the subtle differences in the three accounts. I quote from Studies in Bereshit/Genesis by the late Prof. Nehama Leibovitz (jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/nleib.html):

We noted…how the slightest variation in phraseology, and addition or omission, may contain a world of significance. We may note how she reported that Joseph left his garment “by me” instead of “in her hand” as had actually happened. Otherwise the real truth would have become immediately self-evident to her hearers. She did not vary her account regarding Joseph’s terrified flight in freeing himself from her whilst in her room and his resumption of his normal pace as he left it, for fear that her slaves had, perhaps, seen Joseph leave. But when she reported her story to her husband she stressed simply that “he fled out” in order to strengthen the impression of his guilt. She emphasizes both in the account to her slaves, who heard nothing, and to her husband that she cried out, in order to absolve herself of any suspicion of being an accessory to the deed.

Further light is thrown on Potiphar’s wife’s unscrupulous defaming of Joseph in another subtle differentiation between her phrasing of the account to her slaves and subsequently to her husband. She does not employ the term “slaves” when addressing the slaves themselves. Joseph is called simply a Hebrew (literally: “a Hebrew man”). To her husband however, she says “the Hebrew slave.” In order to win over her slaves and gain their sympathies she is at pains not to create any feeling of solidarity among the slaves for Joseph, as one of them. After all, it was a common thing for masters to denounce their slaves. They would naturally side with their fellowsufferer. So she subtly changed her tone and stated that it was not one of them but a stranger, a Hebrew, the common enemy of all of them. To strengthen the impression and arouse their hostility for Joseph she does not say that the Hebrew slave came unto me but rather, “See, he brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us.” In short, the Hebrew has not only wronged me but all of us; he has dishonoured the whole Egyptian nation! How far, however, was that from the truth! In Egypt there were rather two nations, the free men, the Egyptian nobles, and the serfs, the slaves who had no rights at all. In spite of this, Potiphar’s wife in her effort to gain sympathy lumps her slaves together with herself part of one family. The common enemy is the Jew.

Be well!

ssv

 

[afiala2]

I am hoping to open a discussion with our Jewish neighbors concerning this article…
messiahtruth.com/anti.html.

Is this a view espoused by the Jewish community in general?
Are the views put forth on this page viable? Did the Christian New Testament contribute to anti-Semetism? Did it cause anti-semetism?

I think that this is important and should be openly discussed.

I pray that he love of God will shine upon all of us.
Subrosa

Israel is God’s chosen people.

One must remember that if you are attacking the NT as anti-Semitic, you are attacking the RCC. The RCC wrote, gathered, and approved the books that were included in the NT, through what we believe to be the Divine Inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The accusation of Catholicism being anti-Semitic is a huge anti-Catholic whopper, if I ever heard one. Jesus who we believe is God and man was a Jew. His Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary who we hold in more honor and esteem than any other human, was a good faithful Jew. His foster-Father Joseph and His original Apostles were all Jews in nationality and faith. That is until they became Catholic of course, but in nationality they are Jewish or a part of Israel. We believe salvation comes from the Jews in the person of Jesus Christ, who was a descendent of David. We hold men like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and Solomon in high esteem along with the prophets like Jeremiah. These men and their stories and teachings are in our OT which we also consider to be The Word of God along with the NT. The OT is almost ¾ of the length of the entire Catholic Bible which is made up of Jewish teachings and Jewish Prophets. OT has 46 books, while NT only has 27, which means majority of what we believe is very Jewish in content and origin. We believe we are the New Israel where we are all inclusive of all nations not just the Jews, but Gentiles alike. We are the exact opposite of being discriminatory. **If Catholics were to be anti-Semitic, we would be discriminatory against ourselves **as we are either actually Jews or believe we are 'adopted Jews’ as a part of God’s family if we are Gentiles.

My wife and kids are of Jewish decent in race/nationality but not faith, while I am a gentile. But we share the Catholic faith. But if we didn’t believe Christ was the Messiah, my family would most decidedly be Jewish in faith that is if I would be accepted as a gentile and my family as not being fully Jewish in decent.

The perceived “anti-Semitic” -ness of the NT isn’t there; people can have warped perceptions about a lot of things. Just because someone says something unintelligent doesn’t mean they are right. In the NT, Jesus was actually calling out the leaders of the day and saying **why aren’t you being better Jews **or why aren’t you observing the laws Moses gave you. It was Jesus’ place to say this because He is the Son of God, the Only begotten Son of the God of Israel, sent by His Father to save the world. If someone does something bad, when you recount the story the antagonist of the story will always sound bad, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true and accurate or that it automatically becomes the source of future hatred. Rather the hatred towards Jesus in the story should show the reader how pointless hatred is and that you should never want anyone to suffer the way Jesus did, if you have any compassion in your heart.

Rather people who are trying to be like the Nazis and not completely condemning the horrific actions of the Nazis are to blame for any continued hatred being spread. Remember Nazis killed Catholics too, St. Maximilian Kolbe was put to death by the Nazis. Like Ben_dy already said, where does it say you should kill people and persecute people in the NT? Nazis weren’t quoting the NT as their battle cry, and even if someone someday does, it doesn’t mean it is in the NT. It just means those hate filled people hate Catholicism, if they blame their actions on the NT. The only thing the NT is against is sin and death.

 

[afiala2]

God wants what is best for each individual and society as a whole, that’s why we sent us His Son to teach us who gave us a Church which gave us the NT. But it is the Church that safeguards The Bible’s interpretation, something many people ignore. So if people are attacking the NT, it is an argument no one should be interpreting the NT outside the RCC because we don’t promote killing like some “Christian” denominations do who accept abortion as morally good. These same “Christian” denominations also claim to use the Bible as their sole source of faith unlike Catholics. Rather murder is a violation of God’s command thou shall not kill (Exodus 20:13). Wanting to persecute and do harm to someone is in the same vain as killing them, not a Christian thing to do. Some people call themselves Christian citing the NT but don’t follow or teach what Christ taught and that is the source of confusion on the subject not the NT itself. Similar to the KKK saying it is Christian to kill blacks or burn crosses. By the way, the KKK doesn’t like Catholics either. Someone saying the NT is anti-Semitic is simply someone with a vendetta against the RCC or is just very confused.

When I heard the story of the tortoise and the heir I didn’t develop a hatred of rabbits, like Elmer Fudd apparently did, rather I listened to THE MORAL OF THE STORY. I didn’t say those darn arrogant rabbits, or hate Elmer when he was the antagonist to Bugs. People who have hatred toward other people have it for irrational reasons and try to blame it on the next thing that comes to mind that they hate. Even if someone kills your child you shouldn’t hate them for it, rather Jesus taught love your enemy and do not have vengeance in your heart. If you think the NT is anti-Semitic you need to read the NT again without your personal bias against Catholicism to see THE MORAL OF THE STORY. And THE OBVIOUS , if we were anti-Semitic we would have to stop reading the Bible and being Catholic because JESUS IS A JEW. The moral is we should love each other as siblings and not hate or hold grudges. Also keep in mind, most of the NT was written by Jews (maybe all of it was, but I am not totally sure on all authors), but they were all Catholic in faith though not actually called Catholic at the time, because the term Catholic wasn’t used til early 2nd century to distinguish from heretics.

The Gospels of Jesus Christ and the other Letters in the NT are not something that produces hatred. Rather it is the message of world peace that is inclusive to all people, and would result in world peace if everyone took the time to listen. I pray that everyone will be united as TRUE followers of Jesus someday, but until that day comes as a rule of thumb when someone hates Jews they are also anti-Catholic as well (e.g. Nazis, KKK).

 

[Publisher]

I think as the NT writers developed the gospel story during it’s formation over decades in the 1st century…the Gospel of John ended up being the most anti-Semitic. The blame on who actually casued the crucifixtion of Jesus made it’s progression through the gospels…Marc blames Rome…other writers like Matthew and Luke blames the Jewish leaders…and finally in John we see “the Jews” being named over and over as the advesary of Jesus.

After the final break with Judaism the beginning of the 2nd century…Christianity became more “anit-Semetic”…and continued to be so.

 

[cooterhein]

I am hoping to open a discussion with our Jewish neighbors concerning this article…
messiahtruth.com/anti.html.

Is this a view espoused by the Jewish community in general?
Are the views put forth on this page viable? Did the Christian New Testament contribute to anti-Semetism? Did it cause anti-semetism?

I think that this is important and should be openly discussed.

I pray that he love of God will shine upon all of us.
Subrosa

I would say the New Testament is not anti-Semitic, but most of the ECF’s were to a disturbing extent. Most of the Reformers, too, for that matter.

It’s a defect. You’re right, it is important and it should be discussed. For the damage it’s done, for the reasons it’s there, and with the purpose of overcoming the defect in whatever ways that hasn’t happened yet.

 

[trdchubi]

The New Testament: A Pro-Jewish Book

No intelligent reader of the New Testament would say that the purpose for which it was written was to attack the Jews. It is a book of salvation that is concerned to present Jesus Christ as the Saviour of the world. The four books which are the heart of the New Testament are called “Gospels”, from a word meaning “good news”, so their basic aim must be positive. The book of Acts records the moving out of the apostles into the wider Roman Empire with this message, and their epistles, or letters, continue the teaching with which they founded the churches. One letter — the Epistle to the Hebrews — is specifically addressed to Jews. The first Gospel begins with a Jewish genealogy, tracing the family of Jesus to Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. All the New Testament books were written by Jews except the Gospel of Luke and its sequel, the book of Acts. Even these two books are full of Jewish quotations and Jewish thought-forms. The New Testament makes it clear that the founding of the Christian religion and its promotion throughout the world was a Jewish operation at the start and during the vital formative years. The central figure of Christianity was, and is, a Jew: Jesus of Nazareth. The apostles he sent out into the world were all Jews. The basis of their message was the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, which was given to the Jewish people and preserved by them down through the centuries. The full Christian message was first proclaimed in Jerusalem at the Jewish pilgrim festival of Shavuot or Pentecost. The many thousand believers in those early days were all Jews; not peripheral, nominal Jews but Jews zealous enough to traverse the Roman world of that day to be at Jerusalem for a Jewish festival. The New Testament records that in a short time there were thousands of Hebrew Christians, including Jews “zealous for the Law”, temple priests and Pharisees and at least two members of the ruling council, the Sanhedrin. Even the leading persecutor of the Christians, authorised by the High Priest, and said by some to have been himself a member of the Sanhedrin, Saul of Tarsus, embraced Christianity.

 

[trdchubi]

I think as the NT writers developed the gospel story during it’s formation over decades in the 1st century…the Gospel of John ended up being the most anti-Semitic. The blame on who actually casued the crucifixtion of Jesus made it’s progression through the gospels…Marc blames Rome…other writers like Matthew and Luke blames the Jewish leaders…and finally in John we see “the Jews” being named over and over as the advesary of Jesus.

After the final break with Judaism the beginning of the 2nd century…Christianity became more “anit-Semetic”…and continued to be so.

Generally it has been supposed that the Gospel of John was written to a Gentile audience because of the frequent use of the adjective Jewish to introduce religious customs and observances (e.g. John 5:1 or 6:4). Moreover, certain passages seem to sound anti-Jewish. In John 5:16, 18 we read, “the Jews persecuted Jesus” and “sought all the more to kill Him” and John 7:13 states, “no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.”

A straight reading of those passages does sound anti-Jewish, but a simple and accurate revision of the translation from the Greek (the written language of the New Testament) immediately and drastically alters the sense of the text. Judaioi, the Greek word for “Jews,” is the same as the word for “Judeans.” The maligned texts could equally be rendered the Judeans persecuted Jesus or the Judeans sought all the more to kill Him. Indeed, a number of commentators explain that the term “Jews” refers particularly to the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem. In fact, the translation no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews would make more sense if it were translated no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Judeans. After all, the “no one” refers also to Jews!

John 7:1 offers one of the clearest examples of text where the translation into English would be improved by using the word “Judean” rather than “Jews.” A commonly used translation (the NIV) states, “Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.” The word there is not found in the Greek text, which reads simply, “Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews were waiting to take his life.” As Galilee was populated by Jews, the Bible translators understood very well that Jesus wanted to stay away, not from all Jews, but from the Jews of Judea. Hence, for clarification the translation adds the word there. It would have been more accurate not to have added the word there and to have translated Judaioi as “Judeans” rather than “Jews.”

 

[trdchubi]

Pro-Semitism in the NT

The writters of the Messaih Truth clearly missed the following passages.

**In the Gospels:
**
Matthew 1:1-17 and Luke 3:23-38 emphasize that Jesus was Jewish and a descendent of David
Matthew 10:5-6 - Jesus instructs the disciples to take the Gospel to the Jews first, not the Gentiles
Matthew 15:21-28 - Jesus tells a Gentile woman that he was sent to save the Jews first
The Jews are far from being the only ones involved in Christ’s persecution and crucifixion. Pilate let Jesus be crucified despite realizing his innocence (Mk 15:9-15) and the Roman soldiers mocked and persecuted Jesus, as well as doing the actual crucifying (Mt 27:27-31, Lk 23:11, 35-37).
John 4:22 - “Salvation is from the Jews” (i.e. from Jesus, David’s descendant)

In Acts:

4:27 - Herod, Pilate and the Gentiles in Jerusalem (not just the Jews) conspired against Jesus
11:1-18 - In the account of Peter and Cornelius, the Jews are amazed that God is merciful enough to save “even the (unclean) Gentiles.”
14:1, 17:10-12 - Paul follows Jesus’ model of going to the Jews first, and many Jews accept Jesus as the Messiah

In the Pauline Epistles:

Romans 1:16 - Salvation is “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile”
Romans 9:1-5 - Paul (who is Jewish) describes his desire for the Israelites to receive Christ and the honors the Israelites have received, including that Jesus’ human ancestry was through them
Romans 11:1-24 - Paul warns the Gentiles against boasting, comparing them to wild olive branches and the Jews to cultivated olive branches
Romans 11:28 - Even those Jews who reject Christ are to be “loved on account of the patriarchs.”
Romans 15:27 - “For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.”
Galatians 2:7-9 - At least three of the apostles had a specific ministry to the Jews
Galatians 2:11-13 - Rather than an anti-Semitic prejudice, the early church had if anything a pro-Semitic prejudice, as evidenced by Peter and others discriminating against Gentiles

In Revelation:

7:2-8 - “144,000 from the tribes of Israel” are sealed with God’s seal
21:12 - The names of the twelve tribes of Israel are written on the gates of the new Jerusalem

 

[Big_Dummy]

Luke 5:14
And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.