New Vatican Document on Jews, Salvation, and Evangelization [Akin]
- Status
C
commenter
Guest
Instead of calling it a “Vatican document” it would be more accurate to call it a document submitted to the Vatican.
M
MiserableSinner
Guest
I don’t understand this. Is this coming from the Holy Spirit? What level of authority does this document carry? I have heard from other posters that it holds absolutely no authority. That it is basically just someone’s opinion. Is this true?
From Romans:
1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” 4But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
8just as it is written,
“GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”
9And David says,
“LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.
10“LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”
11I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
-----That is what God’s Word says. They were broken off. They need to be grafted back in by Faith in God’s Son and become part of the Israel of God, the Holy Catholic Church.
So this is something I have often wondered. Why are we not standing outside of Synagogues like the Apostles were? It is the Jewish Prophets who constantly spoke of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ - God.
Mark 12:36
And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36"David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET.”’ 37"David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.
If this is not coming from the Holy Spirit, someone in the Vatican needs to take action and the Pope needs to pay close attention to this. Eternal souls are at stake.
I am actually in the process of trying to convert a Jewish man of strong faith. I am moved with compassion towards this God-fearing man, and I want him to know the Truth about the Messiah and see the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Please pray for this intention. Ask the Holy Spirit to show him in the Scriptures. Please ask the Father to draw him to His Son.
From Romans:
1I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3“Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.” 4But what is the divine response to him? “I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.” 5In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.
7What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened;
8just as it is written,
“GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR,
EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT,
DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.”
9And David says,
“LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP,
AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM.
10“LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT,
AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.”
11I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. 12Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too.
17But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
-----That is what God’s Word says. They were broken off. They need to be grafted back in by Faith in God’s Son and become part of the Israel of God, the Holy Catholic Church.
So this is something I have often wondered. Why are we not standing outside of Synagogues like the Apostles were? It is the Jewish Prophets who constantly spoke of the coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ - God.
Mark 12:36
And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36"David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET.”’ 37"David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.
If this is not coming from the Holy Spirit, someone in the Vatican needs to take action and the Pope needs to pay close attention to this. Eternal souls are at stake.
I am actually in the process of trying to convert a Jewish man of strong faith. I am moved with compassion towards this God-fearing man, and I want him to know the Truth about the Messiah and see the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Please pray for this intention. Ask the Holy Spirit to show him in the Scriptures. Please ask the Father to draw him to His Son.
A
Ad_Orientem
Guest
The document in question was issued by a Pontifical Commission, i.e. a consultative body. It is not a magisterial document.
S
SAVINGRACE
Guest
I thought it was a given that we don’t active prosletyse Jews.
R
Ron_Conte
Guest
Jews can be saved without converting to Christianity:
“That the Jews are participants in God’s salvation is theologically unquestionable, but how that can be possible without confessing Christ explicitly, is and remains an unfathomable divine mystery.”
“For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29).
“That the Jews are participants in God’s salvation is theologically unquestionable, but how that can be possible without confessing Christ explicitly, is and remains an unfathomable divine mystery.”
“For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29).
B
Bookcat
Guest
I have not read the full document yet but just to note one line that I saw in a quick overview (in addition to pointing to the various documents from the Magisterium on evangelization etc)
From this document of that commission:
“Christians are nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews”
From this document of that commission:
“Christians are nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews”
C
commenter
Guest
In fact, everyone can be saved without converting to Christianity. God has a plan for all, for non Catholics or even including Catholic children who grow up never learning about God. That does not mean it is unimportant for us to teach our children about Godl
But what is God’s plan for us? God’s plan for us, who have accepted the gospel, of course is to gently evangelize those who have not - and then leave to God who has other plans for people we cannot evangelize. Nothing in this new document replaces Christ’s call to evangelize in the Acts of the Apostles, which did not leave out Jews or any other group.
Our evangelizing is also part of God’s plan, but He has other means, too.
B
Bookcat
Guest
More from the commission document that is being discussed here:
"The universality of salvation in Jesus Christ and God’s unrevoked covenant with Israel
Since God has never revoked his covenant with his people Israel, there cannot be different paths or approaches to God’s salvation. The theory that there may be two different paths to salvation, the Jewish path without Christ and the path with the Christ, whom Christians believe is Jesus of Nazareth, would in fact endanger the foundations of Christian faith. Confessing the universal and therefore also exclusive mediation of salvation through Jesus Christ belongs to the core of Christian faith. So too does the confession of the one God, the God of Israel, who through his revelation in Jesus Christ has become totally manifest as the God of all peoples, insofar as in him the promise has been fulfilled that all peoples will pray to the God of Israel as the one God (cf. Is 56:1-8). The document “Notes on the correct way to present the Jews and Judaism in preaching and catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church” published by the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews in 1985 therefore maintained that the Church and Judaism cannot be represented as “two parallel ways to salvation”, but that the Church must “witness to Christ as the Redeemer for all” (No.I, 7). The Christian faith confesses that God wants to lead all people to salvation, that Jesus Christ is the universal mediator of salvation, and that there is no “other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:12)."
en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/12/10/vatican_issues_new_document_on_christian-jewish_dialogue_/1193274
"The universality of salvation in Jesus Christ and God’s unrevoked covenant with Israel
Since God has never revoked his covenant with his people Israel, there cannot be different paths or approaches to God’s salvation. The theory that there may be two different paths to salvation, the Jewish path without Christ and the path with the Christ, whom Christians believe is Jesus of Nazareth, would in fact endanger the foundations of Christian faith. Confessing the universal and therefore also exclusive mediation of salvation through Jesus Christ belongs to the core of Christian faith. So too does the confession of the one God, the God of Israel, who through his revelation in Jesus Christ has become totally manifest as the God of all peoples, insofar as in him the promise has been fulfilled that all peoples will pray to the God of Israel as the one God (cf. Is 56:1-8). The document “Notes on the correct way to present the Jews and Judaism in preaching and catechesis in the Roman Catholic Church” published by the Holy See’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews in 1985 therefore maintained that the Church and Judaism cannot be represented as “two parallel ways to salvation”, but that the Church must “witness to Christ as the Redeemer for all” (No.I, 7). The Christian faith confesses that God wants to lead all people to salvation, that Jesus Christ is the universal mediator of salvation, and that there is no “other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:12)."
en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/12/10/vatican_issues_new_document_on_christian-jewish_dialogue_/1193274
B
Bookcat
Guest
Lets not take our doctrine from “news bots” and “headlines”…
B
Bookcat
Guest
I have not read the full document yet but just to note one line that I saw in a quick overview (in addition to pointing to the various documents from the Magisterium on evangelization etc).
From this document of that commission:
“The Church is therefore obliged to view evangelisation to Jews, who believe in the one God, in a different manner from that to people of other religions and world views.”
“Christians are nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews”
From this document of that commission:
“The Church is therefore obliged to view evangelisation to Jews, who believe in the one God, in a different manner from that to people of other religions and world views.”
“Christians are nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews”
G
Genesis315
Guest
The document itself says it has no doctrinal value and is just there to provoke discussion:
Of course, that doesn’t mean it won’t be treated like the opposite by a whole lot of people (see for example the Balamand statement, the Joint Statement on Justification with Lutherans, the ITC report on limbo, various random papal interviews, etc., etc. most of which have the same disclaimer and most are later contradicted by the actual Magisterium, but all that often gets ignored and they are treated like dogmatic definitions…).
It is true that “a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in” (Rom 11:25) that prevents the Jews from recognizing their Messiah until the full number of Gentiles has come in. Because of this, some, like St. Bernard and Pope Benedict have argued that the evangelization of Jewish people will essentially be ineffective so we shouldn’t bother with it until then. But others, like St. Thomas Aquinas, argue that since it is only “in part”–it is not universal–we should still seek conversions. The proof of this is that there are Jewish converts in every era, from Apostolic times down to the present.
I hope that helps!
en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/12/10/vatican_issues_new_document_on_christian-jewish_dialogue_/1193274
Of course, that doesn’t mean it won’t be treated like the opposite by a whole lot of people (see for example the Balamand statement, the Joint Statement on Justification with Lutherans, the ITC report on limbo, various random papal interviews, etc., etc. most of which have the same disclaimer and most are later contradicted by the actual Magisterium, but all that often gets ignored and they are treated like dogmatic definitions…).
Using the modern connotation of the word proselytize, which means seeking conversions through coercion, fraud, or other sinful means, we shouldn’t proselytize anyone. But we should evangelize and seek the conversion of everyone using upright and honest means, and not discriminate or exclude any person based on their race or religion, because that is what the Lord commanded us to do and what the Apostles and all Christians until today have done. Our Lord told us to baptize every nation and teach them to observe what He commanded–He didn’t exempt His own nation, in fact, He came first for them.
It is true that “a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in” (Rom 11:25) that prevents the Jews from recognizing their Messiah until the full number of Gentiles has come in. Because of this, some, like St. Bernard and Pope Benedict have argued that the evangelization of Jewish people will essentially be ineffective so we shouldn’t bother with it until then. But others, like St. Thomas Aquinas, argue that since it is only “in part”–it is not universal–we should still seek conversions. The proof of this is that there are Jewish converts in every era, from Apostolic times down to the present.
I hope that helps!
G
Genesis315
Guest
I think the key to this is understanding the covenant with Abraham and it’s relationship to the new covenant in Christ’s Blood. In some sense, they form one single covenant which a person enters into through faith (this also shouldn’t be confused with the Mosaic covenant). The covenant of faith was first offered to the Jewish people and then extended to all men. All are now called to participate in it–no one is permanently excluded (at least until death). Even if one is cut off due to a lack of faith, God is always waiting for us to return to faith–He always holds up His end of the promise. I don’t have a perfect understanding of these things by any means, but I think those are the basics.
S
SAVINGRACE
Guest
Found this while doing some research on this topic.
"While Pope Benedict does not affirm a theory propounded by some theologians holding that the Jews will be saved independently of Christ, experts say, he does clearly suggest the church should not be targeting Jews for conversion efforts.
“Israel is in the hands of God, who will save it ‘as a whole’ at the proper time, when the number of Gentiles is full,” the pope writes. The historical duration of this “proper time,” Benedict says, cannot be calculated.
In terms of the proper Christian attitude in the meantime, Benedict approvingly quotes Cistercian abbess and Biblical writer Hildegard Brem: “The church must not concern herself with the conversion of the Jews, since she must wait for the time fixed for this by God.”
Although Benedict XVI stipulated in the first volume of his book that he writes as a private theologian rather than authoritatively as head of the Catholic church, his comments inevitably carry weight as indications of the way Benedict is likely to approach these questions as pope.
The question of conversion has long been among the most explosive in the arena of Catholic/Jewish relations. Still today, perceptions in the Jewish world that Christians are targeting them for missionary efforts produce sharply negative reactions.
Benedict XVI acknowledges that the question of “Israel’s mission” in God’s plan has a painful past.
“We realize today with horror how many misunderstandings with grave consequences have weighed down our history,” he writes. Yet, the pope says, “the beginnings of a correct understanding have always been there, waiting to be rediscovered, however deep the shadows.”
The key to that correct understanding, Benedict writes, lies in the Biblical notion of the “times of the Gentiles.”
The charge given by Jesus to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, Benedict says, implies a sequence: first the “full number” of the Gentiles comes to the faith, and only then the Jews. He quotes St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s advice to one of his predecessors, Pope Eugene III, that “a determined time has been fixed” for the conversion of the Jews “that cannot be anticipated.”
Benedict says that in the early church, the urgency of evangelization wasn’t based so much on the idea that every human being had to know Christ in order to be saved, but rather on a “grand conception of history,” according to which the Gospel had to reach all the nations in order for the world to fulfill its destiny.
Until God’s plan comes to fruition, Benedict says, the “particular task” of the disciples of Christ is to carry the faith to the Gentiles, not to the Jews.
The question of whether including Jews in the church’s missionary efforts is legitimate has long been a debated point in Catholic circles."
ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/church-should-not-pursue-conversion-jews-pope-says
"While Pope Benedict does not affirm a theory propounded by some theologians holding that the Jews will be saved independently of Christ, experts say, he does clearly suggest the church should not be targeting Jews for conversion efforts.
“Israel is in the hands of God, who will save it ‘as a whole’ at the proper time, when the number of Gentiles is full,” the pope writes. The historical duration of this “proper time,” Benedict says, cannot be calculated.
In terms of the proper Christian attitude in the meantime, Benedict approvingly quotes Cistercian abbess and Biblical writer Hildegard Brem: “The church must not concern herself with the conversion of the Jews, since she must wait for the time fixed for this by God.”
Although Benedict XVI stipulated in the first volume of his book that he writes as a private theologian rather than authoritatively as head of the Catholic church, his comments inevitably carry weight as indications of the way Benedict is likely to approach these questions as pope.
The question of conversion has long been among the most explosive in the arena of Catholic/Jewish relations. Still today, perceptions in the Jewish world that Christians are targeting them for missionary efforts produce sharply negative reactions.
Benedict XVI acknowledges that the question of “Israel’s mission” in God’s plan has a painful past.
“We realize today with horror how many misunderstandings with grave consequences have weighed down our history,” he writes. Yet, the pope says, “the beginnings of a correct understanding have always been there, waiting to be rediscovered, however deep the shadows.”
The key to that correct understanding, Benedict writes, lies in the Biblical notion of the “times of the Gentiles.”
The charge given by Jesus to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, Benedict says, implies a sequence: first the “full number” of the Gentiles comes to the faith, and only then the Jews. He quotes St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s advice to one of his predecessors, Pope Eugene III, that “a determined time has been fixed” for the conversion of the Jews “that cannot be anticipated.”
Benedict says that in the early church, the urgency of evangelization wasn’t based so much on the idea that every human being had to know Christ in order to be saved, but rather on a “grand conception of history,” according to which the Gospel had to reach all the nations in order for the world to fulfill its destiny.
Until God’s plan comes to fruition, Benedict says, the “particular task” of the disciples of Christ is to carry the faith to the Gentiles, not to the Jews.
The question of whether including Jews in the church’s missionary efforts is legitimate has long been a debated point in Catholic circles."
ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/church-should-not-pursue-conversion-jews-pope-says
H
HungerNThirst4R
Guest
But…St Paul did? …And Jesus did!
S
SAVINGRACE
Guest
Thursday’s text, titled “The Gifts and the Calling of God Are Irrevocable,” delves into the complex theological question of “how Christian belief in the universal salvific significance of Jesus Christ can be combined in a coherent way with the equally clear statement of faith in the never-revoked covenant of God with Israel.”
It is the belief of the Church, the text states, “that Christ is the Savior for all. There cannot be two ways of salvation, therefore, since Christ is also the Redeemer of the Jews in addition to the Gentiles.”
At the same time, the mystery of God’s work “is not a matter of missionary efforts to convert Jews, but rather the expectation that the Lord will bring about the hour when we will all be united” and “all peoples will call on God with one voice and ‘serve him shoulder to shoulder.’”
It is the belief of the Church, the text states, “that Christ is the Savior for all. There cannot be two ways of salvation, therefore, since Christ is also the Redeemer of the Jews in addition to the Gentiles.”
At the same time, the mystery of God’s work “is not a matter of missionary efforts to convert Jews, but rather the expectation that the Lord will bring about the hour when we will all be united” and “all peoples will call on God with one voice and ‘serve him shoulder to shoulder.’”
C
commenter
Guest
Some might argue that since God’s covenent with the Church is “never-revoked”, therefore the Church should not try to evangelize anyone raised Catholic. But of course we do. The fact that Catholic John was raised with access to the fullness of the truth does not automatically mean that this particular individual is currently living and practicing the Faith. If he is not, he needs to be evangelized. The same is true of his Jewish neighbor Bill, who like all Jews had potential access to a valued spiritual heritage.
It is misleading to quote theologians, including the Pope Emeritus, who raise issues about how the various ways God reaches different groups, or heritages, and emphasize the value of those heritages. Salvation is about individuals, not heritages. Pope Benedict did in fact support Pope Paul’s encyclical on Evangelization, which omitted no one from the Church’s “missionary efforts”, regardless of their heritage. The fact that God has other means besides the Church to reach John, or Bill, does not diminish the value of missionary efforts to all individuals.
There are some Jews who are religiously involved through their family or synagogue; others who are not thus involved; and many who have no religious beliefs at all. It is inaccurate to lump them together; wrong to say that since Bill had a great grandparent who knew and lived the Jewish religious heritage, therefore Bill has no need for Catholic efforts at conversion, being he is “Jewish”.
This document is not about Islam, but keep in mind many others are proposing that since they, too, have spiritual heritage, then Christian efforts to convert them are bigotry. And other groups too. Keep in mind, for the Church, we can appreciate the value of a heritage, and of the individual who holds that heritage, but does not negate the fact that the fullness of truth, for all persons, is in Christ.
S
steve_b
Guest
good oneMatt 10:5These twelve Jesus sent out, charging them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans,b] 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons…
Matt 15: 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word.And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”e] 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered,“It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.”And her daughter was healed instantly.
Jesus gave the Jews first right of refusal. If the old covenant is good enough why establish a new covenant. And why not leave the Jews alone?
As you put so well, Jesus insisted the Jews were given 1st chance at the new covenant.
A
Ad_Orientem
Guest
From the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium of our holy father Pope Francis (24 Nov 2013):
- … In fidelity to the example of the Master, it is vitally important for the Church today to go forth and preach the Gospel to all: to all places, on all occasions, without hesitation, reluctance or fear. The joy of the Gospel is for all people: no one can be excluded. That is what the angel proclaimed to the shepherds in Bethlehem: “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people” (Lk 2:10). …
C
Catholic_Opinion
Guest
jimmyakin.com/wp-content/uploads/vatican-document-jewish-religion-300x212.jpgThe Holy See has released a new document dealing with the Jewish people, salvation, and evangelization.
Here are 9 things to know and share . . .
1) What is the new document?
It’s titled The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable (GCGI), and it was released by the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
The title is a quotation from St. Paul, who refers to how the Jewish people “are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:28-29).
The document itself commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II’s decree Nostra Aetate, which dealt with the Church’s relations with other religions and, in particular, with Judaism.
2) What authority does the new document have?
The preface to the document states:
The text is not a magisterial document or doctrinal teaching of the Catholic Church, but is a reflection prepared by the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews on current theological questions that have developed since the Second Vatican Council.
It therefore does not carry magisterial authority. Of course, when it repeats existing magisterial teaching, that is authoritative.
When it doesn’t, it offers insights into the Holy See’s current thinking. That includes the thinking of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was involved in the drafting of the document and approved it before publication (as made clear at he press conference where the document was released).
3) What does the document contain?
It contains seven sections. The first surveys the history of Jewish-Catholic relations in the last fifty years, and the last deals with goals for the dialogue between the two communities (e.g., deeper understanding of each other, practical cooperation on social problems).
The middle sections deal with various theological questions.
Section 2 deals with the unique status of Jewish-Catholic dialogue. It makes the point that Christianity is rooted in Judaism, that Jesus and the first Christians were Jews, and that this means that the Church relates differently to Judaism than to any other world religion.
Section 3 deals with God’s revelation in the course of history and how it is viewed by the two communities. It notes, in particular, that for Jews the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) is fundamental, while for Christians Jesus Christ is fundamental.
Section 4 deals with the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
Section 5 deals with the universality of salvation in Christ and God’s unrevoked covenant with Israel.
Finally, section 6 deals with the Church’s mandate to evangelize in relation to Judaism.
In each of these sections there are a number of positive and encouraging points.
**4) What are some of the positive and encouraging points? **
There is too much material to unpack in detail, but some particular points of note deal with:
Supersessionism is the view that the Church has completely taken over the promises of God regarding Israel, so that today the Jewish people have no special status whatsoever.
The document notes that, although this view has been common in some periods of Church history, it is not the teaching of the Church.
In fact, the title of the document itself indicates a rejection of supersessionism: St. Paul’s point is that God still loves the Jewish people and they still have a special status before him, for he gave them gifts and a calling which are irrevocable.
Thus the document states:
The Church is called the new people of God (cf.*”Nostra aetate”, No.4) but not in the sense that the people of God of Israel has ceased to exist (GCGI 23).
6) What does the document say about the Old Covenant?
It repeats established Church teaching that the covenant God made with Israel remains valid and has not been revoked.
Interestingly, it points out that this teaching was not articulated by Nostra Aetate but was first taught explicitly by St. John Paul II in 1980 (GCGI 39).
The document thus quotes the Catechism when it says:
The Old Covenant has never been revoked (CCC 121).
What, precisely, this means is something that the document does not explore fully. However, here is a helpful discussion by Cardinal Avery Dulles.
7) What does the document say about salvation?
In the last few years a view has been proposed that there are two paths to salvation, one for Jews and one for Christians. We each have a covenant with God, the reasoning goes, so these are means of saving grace for both of us. There is no need for Jews to become Christians or for Christians to proclaim Jesus to Jews. They have their own arrangements with God, which are quite sufficient for them.
As attractive as this view might be for letting one off the hook with respect to evangelization, particularly in light of the historical persecution of Jews by Christians in many places, it is utterly inconsistent with the biblical data.
Jesus wasn’t a gentile, and he did not die just for the sins of gentiles. He was a Jew, he died to redeem the Jewish people as well, and he made sure that the gospel was proclaimed first and foremost to the Jewish people in his own day. His first followers were Jews, and he told them, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Correspondingly, his Jewish followers understood that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The “two paths” view proceeds from a fundamentally mistaken understanding of the Christian message, made possible in part by severing Christianity from its Jewish roots and treating it in an ahistorical manner, as if it were purely a gentile phenomenon.
The good news is that the new document rejects the two paths view, both forcefully and repeatedly:
Therefore there are not two paths to salvation according to the expression “Jews hold to the Torah, Christians hold to Christ.” Christian faith proclaims that Christ’s work of salvation is universal and involves all mankind. God’s word is one single and undivided reality which takes concrete form in each respective historical context. . . .
Since God has never revoked his covenant with his people Israel, there cannot be different paths or approaches to God’s salvation. The theory that there may be two different paths to salvation, the Jewish path without Christ and the path with the Christ, whom Christians believe is Jesus of Nazareth, would in fact endanger the foundations of Christian faith. Confessing the universal and therefore also exclusive mediation of salvation through Jesus Christ belongs to the core of Christian faith. . . . [T]he Church and Judaism cannot be represented as “two parallel ways to salvation” . . .
[T]he Christian confession that there can be only one path to salvation . . .
There cannot be two ways of salvation, therefore, since Christ is also the Redeemer of the Jews in addition to the Gentiles (GCGI 25, 35, 36, 37).
One gets the sense that the authors of the document really wanted to nail the coffin shut on the two paths view, and this is heartening, for they are correct: The unique role of Jesus as the Savior of all mankind—Jews included—is fundamental to the Christian faith.
8) Does the document imply that non-Christian Jews cannot be saved?
No, and one would not expect it to. The Church acknowledges that salvation is possible for people who, through no fault of their own, do not embrace the Christian faith in this life. Thus Vatican II stated:
Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience (Lumen Gentium 16).
In such cases, because Christ is the Savior of all men, it is still through Jesus that these people are saved. They simply do not realize that in this life.
Consequently, it is not a surprise when the new document states:
From the Christian confession that there can be only one path to salvation, however, it does not in any way follow that the Jews are excluded from God’s salvation because they do not believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God (GCGI 36).
What is a bit surprising is that, instead of pointing to the Church’s established teaching that people who do not embrace the Christian faith through no fault of their own can be saved, the document points to elements in St. Paul’s thought in an attempt to show that he would have recognized the possibility of salvation for non-Christian Jews.
This part of the document is not repeating existing Church teaching, and so it is open to question. Personally, I need to think through the argument they make to see how well it works.
It also says:
That the Jews are participants in God’s salvation is theologically unquestionable, but how that can be possible without confessing Christ explicitly, is and remains an unfathomable divine mystery.
The first part of that is true, but I am not sure what they mean by reference to it being an unfathomable mystery, unless they have in mind the mysterious way in which God applies his grace extra-sacramentally to all non-Christians who are saved.
9) What does the document say about evangelization?
It acknowledges that Christians have a duty to evangelize and that this includes Jewish people.
Many in the media and the blogosphere got this wrong (big surprise) and reported that the Holy See was saying that Christians should not evangelize Jews, but the document says otherwise.
The document did say that evangelizing Jewish people is a sensitive matter for multiple reasons, including the fact that for many Jews it seems to call into question their continued existence as a people and the fact that the history of Christian persecution of Jews, including the 20th century German Holocaust, hangs over the discussion.
It then draws a distinction between the Church supporting particular efforts directed to Jewish evangelization and the ordinary, organic efforts of individual Christians in sharing their faith with Jews.
Regarding the former, the document says:
In concrete terms this means that the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed towards Jews (GCGI 40).
The key word here is “institutional.” It’s saying that the Church doesn’t have a Pontifical Commission for the Conversion of Jews and that it does not provide support for independent institutions devoted to Jewish mission work (e.g., Catholic equivalents of Jews for Jesus).
The document goes on to say that “there is a principled rejection of an institutional Jewish mission.”
What principle they have in mind, I am not sure. One might understand why—for practical reasons—the Church does not have a dicastery of the Roman curia devoted to Jewish evangelization and not lend support to independent organizations doing this work.
For the Church to conduct or officially support institutional efforts at Jewish evangelization, in light of the history, could inflame Jewish sensibilities and serve as an impediment to the effective sharing of the gospel with Jewish individuals.
However, if they have something in mind beyond that, I am not sure what it is.
Despite the fact that the Church does not conduct institutional efforts directed to Jewish evangelization, the document acknowledges that Christians can and must share their faith with Jews, stating:
Christians are nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews, although they should do so in a humble and sensitive manner, acknowledging that Jews are bearers of God’s Word, and particularly in view of the great tragedy of the Shoah * (GCGI 40).
And thus membership in the Church is for Jewish as well as gentile believers in Christ:
Jesus . . . calls his Church from both Jews and Gentiles (cf. Eph 2:11-22) on the basis of faith in Christ and by means of baptism, through which there is incorporation into his Body which is the Church (GCGI 41).
It is and remains a qualitative definition of the Church of the New Covenant that it consists of Jews and Gentiles, even if the quantitative proportions of Jewish and Gentile Christians may initially give a different impression [GCGI 43]
Far from rejecting the idea that the gospel should be shared with Jesus’ own people, the new document calls for individuals Christians—Jewish and gentile—to share it with them, and in a loving and sensitive way.
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Here are 9 things to know and share . . .
1) What is the new document?
It’s titled The Gifts and the Calling of God are Irrevocable (GCGI), and it was released by the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews.
The title is a quotation from St. Paul, who refers to how the Jewish people “are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:28-29).
The document itself commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II’s decree Nostra Aetate, which dealt with the Church’s relations with other religions and, in particular, with Judaism.
2) What authority does the new document have?
The preface to the document states:
The text is not a magisterial document or doctrinal teaching of the Catholic Church, but is a reflection prepared by the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews on current theological questions that have developed since the Second Vatican Council.
It therefore does not carry magisterial authority. Of course, when it repeats existing magisterial teaching, that is authoritative.
When it doesn’t, it offers insights into the Holy See’s current thinking. That includes the thinking of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which was involved in the drafting of the document and approved it before publication (as made clear at he press conference where the document was released).
3) What does the document contain?
It contains seven sections. The first surveys the history of Jewish-Catholic relations in the last fifty years, and the last deals with goals for the dialogue between the two communities (e.g., deeper understanding of each other, practical cooperation on social problems).
The middle sections deal with various theological questions.
Section 2 deals with the unique status of Jewish-Catholic dialogue. It makes the point that Christianity is rooted in Judaism, that Jesus and the first Christians were Jews, and that this means that the Church relates differently to Judaism than to any other world religion.
Section 3 deals with God’s revelation in the course of history and how it is viewed by the two communities. It notes, in particular, that for Jews the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) is fundamental, while for Christians Jesus Christ is fundamental.
Section 4 deals with the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
Section 5 deals with the universality of salvation in Christ and God’s unrevoked covenant with Israel.
Finally, section 6 deals with the Church’s mandate to evangelize in relation to Judaism.
In each of these sections there are a number of positive and encouraging points.
**4) What are some of the positive and encouraging points? **
There is too much material to unpack in detail, but some particular points of note deal with:
- Supersessionism
- The Old Covenant
- Salvation
- Evangelization
Supersessionism is the view that the Church has completely taken over the promises of God regarding Israel, so that today the Jewish people have no special status whatsoever.
The document notes that, although this view has been common in some periods of Church history, it is not the teaching of the Church.
In fact, the title of the document itself indicates a rejection of supersessionism: St. Paul’s point is that God still loves the Jewish people and they still have a special status before him, for he gave them gifts and a calling which are irrevocable.
Thus the document states:
The Church is called the new people of God (cf.*”Nostra aetate”, No.4) but not in the sense that the people of God of Israel has ceased to exist (GCGI 23).
6) What does the document say about the Old Covenant?
It repeats established Church teaching that the covenant God made with Israel remains valid and has not been revoked.
Interestingly, it points out that this teaching was not articulated by Nostra Aetate but was first taught explicitly by St. John Paul II in 1980 (GCGI 39).
The document thus quotes the Catechism when it says:
The Old Covenant has never been revoked (CCC 121).
What, precisely, this means is something that the document does not explore fully. However, here is a helpful discussion by Cardinal Avery Dulles.
7) What does the document say about salvation?
In the last few years a view has been proposed that there are two paths to salvation, one for Jews and one for Christians. We each have a covenant with God, the reasoning goes, so these are means of saving grace for both of us. There is no need for Jews to become Christians or for Christians to proclaim Jesus to Jews. They have their own arrangements with God, which are quite sufficient for them.
As attractive as this view might be for letting one off the hook with respect to evangelization, particularly in light of the historical persecution of Jews by Christians in many places, it is utterly inconsistent with the biblical data.
Jesus wasn’t a gentile, and he did not die just for the sins of gentiles. He was a Jew, he died to redeem the Jewish people as well, and he made sure that the gospel was proclaimed first and foremost to the Jewish people in his own day. His first followers were Jews, and he told them, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Correspondingly, his Jewish followers understood that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The “two paths” view proceeds from a fundamentally mistaken understanding of the Christian message, made possible in part by severing Christianity from its Jewish roots and treating it in an ahistorical manner, as if it were purely a gentile phenomenon.
The good news is that the new document rejects the two paths view, both forcefully and repeatedly:
Therefore there are not two paths to salvation according to the expression “Jews hold to the Torah, Christians hold to Christ.” Christian faith proclaims that Christ’s work of salvation is universal and involves all mankind. God’s word is one single and undivided reality which takes concrete form in each respective historical context. . . .
Since God has never revoked his covenant with his people Israel, there cannot be different paths or approaches to God’s salvation. The theory that there may be two different paths to salvation, the Jewish path without Christ and the path with the Christ, whom Christians believe is Jesus of Nazareth, would in fact endanger the foundations of Christian faith. Confessing the universal and therefore also exclusive mediation of salvation through Jesus Christ belongs to the core of Christian faith. . . . [T]he Church and Judaism cannot be represented as “two parallel ways to salvation” . . .
[T]he Christian confession that there can be only one path to salvation . . .
There cannot be two ways of salvation, therefore, since Christ is also the Redeemer of the Jews in addition to the Gentiles (GCGI 25, 35, 36, 37).
One gets the sense that the authors of the document really wanted to nail the coffin shut on the two paths view, and this is heartening, for they are correct: The unique role of Jesus as the Savior of all mankind—Jews included—is fundamental to the Christian faith.
8) Does the document imply that non-Christian Jews cannot be saved?
No, and one would not expect it to. The Church acknowledges that salvation is possible for people who, through no fault of their own, do not embrace the Christian faith in this life. Thus Vatican II stated:
Those also can attain to salvation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and moved by grace strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience (Lumen Gentium 16).
In such cases, because Christ is the Savior of all men, it is still through Jesus that these people are saved. They simply do not realize that in this life.
Consequently, it is not a surprise when the new document states:
From the Christian confession that there can be only one path to salvation, however, it does not in any way follow that the Jews are excluded from God’s salvation because they do not believe in Jesus Christ as the Messiah of Israel and the Son of God (GCGI 36).
What is a bit surprising is that, instead of pointing to the Church’s established teaching that people who do not embrace the Christian faith through no fault of their own can be saved, the document points to elements in St. Paul’s thought in an attempt to show that he would have recognized the possibility of salvation for non-Christian Jews.
This part of the document is not repeating existing Church teaching, and so it is open to question. Personally, I need to think through the argument they make to see how well it works.
It also says:
That the Jews are participants in God’s salvation is theologically unquestionable, but how that can be possible without confessing Christ explicitly, is and remains an unfathomable divine mystery.
The first part of that is true, but I am not sure what they mean by reference to it being an unfathomable mystery, unless they have in mind the mysterious way in which God applies his grace extra-sacramentally to all non-Christians who are saved.
9) What does the document say about evangelization?
It acknowledges that Christians have a duty to evangelize and that this includes Jewish people.
Many in the media and the blogosphere got this wrong (big surprise) and reported that the Holy See was saying that Christians should not evangelize Jews, but the document says otherwise.
The document did say that evangelizing Jewish people is a sensitive matter for multiple reasons, including the fact that for many Jews it seems to call into question their continued existence as a people and the fact that the history of Christian persecution of Jews, including the 20th century German Holocaust, hangs over the discussion.
It then draws a distinction between the Church supporting particular efforts directed to Jewish evangelization and the ordinary, organic efforts of individual Christians in sharing their faith with Jews.
Regarding the former, the document says:
In concrete terms this means that the Catholic Church neither conducts nor supports any specific institutional mission work directed towards Jews (GCGI 40).
The key word here is “institutional.” It’s saying that the Church doesn’t have a Pontifical Commission for the Conversion of Jews and that it does not provide support for independent institutions devoted to Jewish mission work (e.g., Catholic equivalents of Jews for Jesus).
The document goes on to say that “there is a principled rejection of an institutional Jewish mission.”
What principle they have in mind, I am not sure. One might understand why—for practical reasons—the Church does not have a dicastery of the Roman curia devoted to Jewish evangelization and not lend support to independent organizations doing this work.
For the Church to conduct or officially support institutional efforts at Jewish evangelization, in light of the history, could inflame Jewish sensibilities and serve as an impediment to the effective sharing of the gospel with Jewish individuals.
However, if they have something in mind beyond that, I am not sure what it is.
Despite the fact that the Church does not conduct institutional efforts directed to Jewish evangelization, the document acknowledges that Christians can and must share their faith with Jews, stating:
Christians are nonetheless called to bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ also to Jews, although they should do so in a humble and sensitive manner, acknowledging that Jews are bearers of God’s Word, and particularly in view of the great tragedy of the Shoah * (GCGI 40).
And thus membership in the Church is for Jewish as well as gentile believers in Christ:
Jesus . . . calls his Church from both Jews and Gentiles (cf. Eph 2:11-22) on the basis of faith in Christ and by means of baptism, through which there is incorporation into his Body which is the Church (GCGI 41).
It is and remains a qualitative definition of the Church of the New Covenant that it consists of Jews and Gentiles, even if the quantitative proportions of Jewish and Gentile Christians may initially give a different impression [GCGI 43]
Far from rejecting the idea that the gospel should be shared with Jesus’ own people, the new document calls for individuals Christians—Jewish and gentile—to share it with them, and in a loving and sensitive way.
feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/jimmyakin/HPRf?d=yIl2AUoC8zA
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/jimmyakin/HPRf/~4/koFydUaTIMk
More…*
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