The Roman church continues its anti-Zionist, supersessionist rhetoric

In October 2010, at a special Vatican meeting on the Middle East, Cyrille Bustros, a native of Lebanon and a bishop in Newton, Mass., claimed, “We Christians cannot speak of the ‘promised land’ as an exclusive right for a privileged Jewish people.”

This was part of the Greek-Melkite bishop’s comments during a recent news conference where attendees presented the final document that emerged from a Vatican synod of Middle Eastern bishops.

I’m not sure what scriptures Mr. Bustros is studying, but I know the Bible teaches that God’s covenant with Israel cannot be broken and that the Apostle Paul clearly illustrates a future for the actual Israel of the Old Testament. To me, it’s apparent that Mr. Bustros has not embraced the idea the Apostle Paul teaches that we are no longer Jew nor Greek or that our alliance is no longer with our nation, but our alliance is with Christ – Mr. Bustros is clearly Lebanese first.

The notion of supersessionism isn’t new thinking. Both Justin Martyr and Augustine are reported to take this position in their writings. But, when studied as a whole, the Bible clearly teaches that God has a plan for Israel and that plan includes the land that was promised. In Luke 21:24, God teaches us that “Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” This is an indication that Jerusalem will be restored. God also teaches us of the eternity of His promises in Romans 11:28-29, “From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

Supersessionism is the view that the church is the new or true Israel that has replaced or superseded national Israel as the people of God. If the Roman church has replaced Israel, then Mr. Bustros might be correct in his assessment that there is no exclusive right that Israel holds for the promised land. However, this simply isn’t the biblical case.

Because God does not break His covenants, those who say the church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people then have to deny the traditional and orthodox interpretation of the Old Testament and deny there is a prophesied future restoration for national Israel. They also have to claim that the New Testament reinterprets the Old Testament rather than is a continuation of God’s revelation of His will (Ezk. 36-37; Deut. 30:1-6; Jer. 30, 31, 32; Matthew 23:37-39; Luke 13:34-35; Acts 3:19-21; Romans 11).

Charles Spurgeon apparently felt that the future of Israel’s sure role in God’s plan was not considered enough by either theologians or the laity. He wrote, “I think we do not attach sufficient importance to the restoration of the Jews. We do not think enough of it. But certainly, if there is anything promised in the Bible it is this.”

In case that was too vague for some, the famous Old Testament scholar Walter C. Kaiser Jr., wrote succinctly, “To argue that God replaced Israel with the church is to depart from an enormous body of biblical evidence.”

When the Roman church takes an institutional position in favor of replacement theology (which it has), it simply is an expression of its anti-Zionist viewpoint and is clearly not aligned with the Bible. Whether viewed from a secular or spiritual viewpoint, the self-determination, and subsequent self defense, by the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland is part of the expressed plan of God.

Admittedly, there could be confusion on the part of members of the Roman church. The Second Vatican Council took the position that there existed an eternal covenant between Israel and God and that covenant was linked with the land of Israel. Yet, the Roman church has since issued calls for Israel’s withdrawal of occupied lands, removal of border barriers between Israel and the West Bank and support for a sovereign Palestinian nation. It naively stated that Israel would live peacefully and in security if it would only withdraw from conquered land it won in war. How could the Roman church believe this in light of the codified objective of Islamic groups to eradicate the nation of Israel? This call to return to pre-war boundaries is not biblical and goes against God’s desires (Joel 3:1-2; Gen. 15:18-21; Ex. 23:31a).

In all practicality, this is either an official departure from the Second Vatican Council or the Roman church is taking both positions in the polemic. Regardless, this is in opposition to the biblical position.

In his “12 Reasons Why Supersessionism/Replacement Theology Is Not a Biblical Doctrine,” Michael J. Vlach, Ph.D., points out that “the New Testament does not call the church ‘Israel,’ and nowhere does the New Testament state the nation of Israel has been permanently rejected by God.” He also states in his conclusion, “Various texts such as Matt. 19:28; 23:37–39; Luke 13:35; 21:24; 22:30; and Romans 11 refute supersessionism in that they teach or reaffirm the Old Testament expectation of a restoration of Israel.”

This shouldn’t surprise me because the scriptures teach that all nations will stand against Israel, and all will be defeated. In this case, all includes the United States. Unfortunately, I see it happening far sooner than I would have expected due to the influence of global anti-Zionist institutions, such as the Roman church, the United Nations and a spineless European Union.

More 'clergy' showing their anti-Semitism, and lunacy

This past week a Greek Orthodox bishop showed more than his lunacy, he completely destroyed his credibility as a member of that order.  Bishop Metropolitan Seraphim is claiming that Greece’s financial troubles as a nation is a Jewish conspiracy and that the Holocaust was a plan orchestrated by Zionists.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported Bishop Seraphim spewed his anti-Semitic remarks during a television interview in Greece when he said “that there is a conspiracy to enslave Greece and Christian Orthodoxy.”

The bishop then said that “Adolf Hitler was an instrument of world Zionism.”

Of course Jewish groups have come out and raised objection to Bishop Seraphim’s inflammatory remarks. But, the Greek Orthodox church must take serious action against this anti-Semite. If they don’t defrock this man, it will reveal the Orthodox church’s own similar position regarding Jews and Israel.

Why must the erroneous teachings of some sinful early church fathers continue to be perpetuated through the Orthodox, Reformed and Roman churches? Bishop Seraphim is obviously not reading the scriptures where it is abundantly clear that, despite its waywardness, God has a future plan for Israel and that Christians should have a special regard for their “elder brethren.”

“It is completely unacceptable that someone senior in a mainstream European religious denomination can make such repulsive and hate-filled claims,” said the president of the European Jewish Congress Moshe Kantor who called for the bishop to be fired.

In a statement, the American Gathering of Holocaust Survivors and their Descendants said his remarks constitute a brutal assault on the memory of all Nazi victims, Jew and non-Jew.

It’s either insanity or sinfully motivated anti-Semitic hate to claim Jewish leaders would execute such a self-flagellatory plan to have millions of their brothers and sisters slaughtered by the Nazis. Either way, this man proved his deserving of losing his ordination and commanded never to lead a flock again.

Catholic priest alleges gas chambers weren’t used to kill Jews

by Dan Grubbs

In another one of those moments of disbelief that I often have about things going on in the world, I had to remind myself that I should expect all kinds of things as mankind moves headlong into the fruition of God plans.

Catholic priest, Floriano Abrahamovicz, publicly denies that the Nazis used gas chambers to murder Jews during the Holocaust. In an interview with Italy’s Tribuna di Treviso newspaper, Abrahamowicz indicated the gas chambers were used for disinfecting the inmates of the camps.

JTA, the Jewish global news service, reports that Abrahamowicz is a follower of the late Bishop Marcel Lefebvre, who JTA describes as a “traditionalist.”

As ghastly as his remarks were, in the same breath, he indicated that the Holocaust was comparable to ““other genocides” that did not receive the same amount of public recognition. These included the Allied bombing of German cities – and Israel’s actions in Gaza,” JTA reported.

Abrahamovicz goes on to spew his drivel when he said, “And the Israelis can’t tell me that the genocide that they suffered from the Nazis is less serious than that of Gaza because they have killed several thousand people while the Nazis killed 6 million.”

I understand this is a growing sentiment in the Roman church despite Vatican II, which, in part, sought to combat anti-Semitism. This is exacerbated by Pope Benedict XVI's decision to lift the excommunication of four traditionalist Catholic bishops, including Abrahamowicz.

According to the JTA report, Abrahamowicz denied he or other followers of Lefebvre were anti-Semitic. However, he described Jew as “God killers.”

And we have many in the evangelical world that want to reach out in ecumenical efforts with members of the Roman church.

Words fail me!