THE CHURCH IN EUROPE AND AMERICA IN SHAMBLES

BETWEEN THE LINES

HOW THE REFORMATION FAILED

Exclusive: Joseph Farah marks anniversary of event with challenge to Luther, Calvin

It was on Oct. 31, 1517, that Martin Luther wrote to the archbishop of Mainz protesting the sale of indulgences, enclosing a copy of his “Disputation of Martin Luther on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences,” which came to be known as the 95 Theses.

By some historical accounts, it was also the day Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg.

His acts ignited what has become known as the Protestant Reformation, which is acknowledged even by Rome today with major positive contributions to the direction of Christianity.

Yet, with some notable exceptions, the state of the church today, especially in Europe and America, is in shambles.

What could account for that? Where is the spiritual blessing that should be expected from such reforms? How did the Reformation fall short? Is it time for a New Reformation?

Those are questions raised in a new book by Derek Frank and his wife, Francoise, called “Escaping the Great Deception.” Their thesis is attractively simple and direct: While Luther and John Calvin helped bring the Word of God to ordinary people, their Reformation included one stunning omission – a failure to reform Christianity’s warped view of their spiritual brethren, the Jews.

For more than a thousand years, the so-called “church fathers” took the position that the church had replaced the Jews as the “chosen people” and the children of promise. With that doctrine came an ugly and vicious anti-Semitism that demonized the Jews.

• Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, contended in the fourth century: “The Jews are a people who glorified iniquity.”
• Jerome professed in the fourth century: “There could never be expiation for the Jews: God has always hated them.”
• Bishop John Chrysostom in the fourth century published a series of sermons that included the following blood libel: “Because God hates the Jews, it is the duty of Christians to hate them.”
• Ambrose, bishop of Milan, said: “I declare that I have set fire to the synagogue, or at least that those who did acted under my orders, so that there would be no place where Christ is rejected. … Moreover, the synagogue was in fact destroyed by the judgment of God.”
• Even the venerated Augustine of Hippo joined the chorus: “The Jews were sons of God, but now they are sons of Satan. The true image of the Hebrews is Judas Iscariot, who sells the Lord for silver. The Jew can never understand the scriptures and will forever bear the guilt of Jesus.”

When Luther arose to challenge the traditions of the church, he initially had a more benevolent attitude toward the Jews, denouncing the church’s demonization of them: “They have dealt with the Jews as though they were dogs and not human beings. They have done nothing for them but curse them and seize their wealth. I would advise and beg everybody to deal kindly with the Jews and instruct them in the scriptures. In such a case, we could expect them to come over to us. … We must receive them kindly and allow them to compete with us in earning a livelihood … and if some remain obstinate, what of it?”

For this, he was called by the Vatican a “half Jew.”

In turn, Luther proclaimed, “They, the Jews, are blood brothers of our Lord. If it were proper to boast of flesh and blood, the Jews belong to Christ more than we. I beg, therefore, my dear papists, if you become tired of abusing me as a heretic, that you begin to revile me as a Jew.”

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Later in life, however, Luther turned against the Jews with a passion. In a 65,000-word treatise “On the Jews and Their Lies,” he wrote: “Burn their synagogues and schools; what will not burb, bury it with earth that neither stone nor rubbish remain. In like manner break into and destroy their homes. Take away their prayer book and Talmuds. For in them there is nothing but godlessness, lies, cursing, and swearing. Forbid their rabbis to teach, pain of life or limb.”

After Luther’s death, when Calvin declared Geneva a city of refuge for Protestants, Jews were noticeably unwelcome.

Calvin wrote: “I have had much conversation with many Jews: I have never seen either a drop of piety or a grain of truth or ingenuousness – nay, I have never found common sense in any Jew.”

He ranted that the Jews’ “rotten and unbending stiff-neckedness deserves that they be oppressed unendingly and without measure or end and that they die in their misery without the pity of anyone.”

Could it be the fundamental failing of the Reformation was spreading a replacement theology that held that the covenantal promises of God to the children of Israel had been transferred to the church?

It’s a worthy question to ponder and pray about for all Christians – especially given the Jews, despite all odds and persecutions, are still here. Not only are they still here, they rather miraculously have their own country and homeland, again – just as the Bible predicted would take place in the last days prior to the coming of the conquering Messiah.

Was there much good that came from the Reformation? Without a doubt. But did it offer a completely scriptural new vision of salvation for gentiles who could be, as Paul explained, “grafted in” to the promises to the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? No, it fundamentally failed.

But there is a spiritual move arising today to counter the effects of that failure.

Maybe it’s a much-needed second reformation.

Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2014/10/how-the-reformation-failed/#hDQYFbcm4qXIuFcI.99

My comments: The Church today is in a shambles because it does not BELIEVE! The Church does not BELIEVE as the Church in the time of Christ did not BELIEVE. Today, the scriptures are diligently studied by many, but this does not produce REVELATION, just as the Church in the time of Christ failed to recognize their Messiah. Yes, many missed God's intentions for Israel, stated clearly in Scripture, that can be seen more clearly today with Israel having returned to the land God had given them just as Scripture said they would.

Why did the Church in the day of Christ miss His coming to them? Because they had formulated a man-made Religion just as they have today. Will Chrsit Jesus find Faith on earth at His Return [Luke 18:8]? Not much! Today, the Church is a man-made Religion that has accommodated itself to the Culture that surrounds it--a Culture that is the Enemy of God [James 4:4].