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APPENDIX ON PITILESSNESS,
PROVOCATION AND CONFUSION
The Mischief of
Misunderstanding
News 462
The Australian, October 4, 2012
JEWS AND JIHAD ?
Jews are ONLY PART
of the victim list
and jihads of the aggressors
In a perverse twist, we find, in The Australian, October 4, 2012, an account of some Jewish zealots and extremists beginning to target Christians in Israel. Under the heading, "Christian attacks worsen in Israel," p. 10, we read of the grossly defamatory, viciously contra-evidential assaults on the very person of Jesus, as also on the New Testament.
What has led to this disruptive irrationality ? There are always, in this sinful world, those who seek by mere physical violence, or threats of it (such as "We will crucify you," in Hebrew, reportedly painted on a Jerusalem Baptist Church), to have their way. However could such passions now be aroused ? They were aroused within Romanism during the long centuries of its infamous Inquisition in gross violation of the words and actions of Christ (John 18:36 as to principle, Matthew 26:52-56 as to practice), just as now, in retrospect, by a few in Israel, whom that nation's police are seeking to arrest.
Politician, Michael Ben-Ari, we read, described as "revolting", the New Testament, in which by no mistake, Christ is seen being crucified by the nation of Israel, and not crucifying anyone. This Michaelic description was made, it is reported, before that politician tore it up, this testimony of Jesus Christ, to throw it in a bin.
He cited violence - not the one cited in the said New Testament, but some made by others centuries later, as the ground of his actions. With massive short-fall in logic, though somewhat understandable feelings, this he declared: "Millions of Jews were murdered in the name of the New Testament - this revolting book brought massacres of Jews in the Inquisition and throughout history."
This is rather like saying that mathematics has brought a destruction of engineering throughout history. In what way ? It would be, perhaps, because the atomic bomb used engineering processes and mathematical concepts for its construction ? There were preliminaries... Yet you say, what has that to do with it ? If a man uses a kitchen knife for salads, as a stabbing instrument, is it the fault of the knife ? Far worse than this, however, it is also like saying that doctors are beasts, because some of them in Hitler's day performed unspeakable 'experiments' on the persecuted Jews: and HOW they HAVE been persecuted by so many for so long, and how atrocious THAT has been!
Let us not however leave logic, as if it were only occasionally useful. Doctors, with their oft-used Hippocratic oath, are not in any ordinary sense used to do such things, and these are abhorrent to those whose practice of medicine is for the health of the patient. If some do the opposite, being in chains to some ideology which supervenes their norm, then that is a disaster of individuals, not a demotion of the profession.
In the Romanist case, a body NOT in accord with the New Testament (cf. SMR pp. 1032 - 1088H, with pp. 912ff.), and in this respect FLATLY CONTRARY to it, used vile and violent means to seek to SUBDUE others by force, in the realm of faith, even when the Lord Himself REFUSED to allow anyone so much as liberty to protect HIMSELF, when arrest was proceeding, and used a principle showing that such things, as in John 18, were wholly contrary to His whole approach and mission.
If then a body using the name of Christ, but in contradiction of His rulings, and in its general position, heretical in terms of His teaching (as noted in the above references), one exposed in the nearly half a millenium since the Reformation divided Europe, by vast masses of people: if such a body, acted in some way that was objectionable, what has that to do with the New Testament!
In Chapter 6, on PITY, there was occasion to make the following statement:
In history, the recipients of such tyrannical and unreasoned persecution are often Christians, who by biblical confinement, do not believe in violence to protect themselves as a church. On these, now Islamic assault*3, now Romanist assault as in the Inquisition*3A - have wrought their violence. Yes, and with that duo, more broadly, the European special, pogroms preceding the pinnacle of Nazi assault confirming in this anti-Jewish summit, one whole millenium of growing persecution of Christian and Jew alike: all these with later Communist assault, have burdened man in history, in vast tracts of time. With ghastly episodes in some regions, for centuries have these multi-pronged assaults been made. There have been, by directly violent means alone, in the aggregate millions affected, long term specialties, whether now going or growing; nor have these been alone. Now socialism is trying to take over democracies with all the foul flair noted above, as if it were not enough to have longstanding afflictions, from known massifs, but one must now invent ones of one's own, import them from culture, and capture those who had escaped.
It was the followers of the Christ of the New (AND OLD*1) Testament who were persecuted ALONG WITH the Jews in the Inquisition. They are still grossly persecuted by some Islamic societies, and by any who seem to suppose force acts in faith, or who simply have guilt or ill-will and seek to sate it with such an irrelevant excuse. Christ indicated that people would even kill Christians, thinking in this to do God service! (John 16:2). That is precisely what happened, for example, in the Inquisition of Romanism, and to use any excuse to forget this is an-historical folly. It is necessary to realise what man does, as you seek antidote!
What Michael the politician evidently did not realise was that the New Testament is precisely the book which led to Christians ALONG WITH Jews being persecuted in the Inquisition. It was a reckless renegacy from Christ which, as Schaff points out in his history of the Christian Church, is one which confused BEING crucified, as Christ suffered it, and INFLICTING crucifixion or other torture as many have sought to do! It would have been thought that this difference would not be too hard to make out! We Christians, as in Luke 14:27ff., are told to take up our crosses and follow Him, not treat others as Israel treated Him!
COMING EVENTS
It is not long before Israel will repent of the crucifixion of Christ (Zechariah 12:10-13:1). Meanwhile, in view of the centuries-long vehemence of the persecution of Jews (as also of Christians), by various heretical bodies, it is at least comprehensible that someone levels a confused charge against the book misused by some of these, and by them in practice contradicted, as if the mere use of the name for doing the opposite made this correct. It is an incorrect analysis. If you take a deadly antibiotic in express contradiction of a doctor's prescription in what way, in heaven or on earth, is HE responsible ? It is a libel on the Lord to make such claims. It is to assault the victims (alongside the Jews) of vast and crass, indeed infamous conduct, as if they did it, when not only did they also suffer from it, themselves, but their Lord bared Himself, and did not crucify others!
Such a mix-up needs correction, and this is to that end. We do not resent the words of such as the politician, Michael; but it is sad that he is not in possession of the facts, or if he is, that he does not apply them. Romanism together*2 with Islam has surged into Christians mightily - though not all of either. It is certain thrusts within Islam, not all consenting, but whole nations in accord which, with the jihad kind of mentality, have sought to conquer and subdue whole peoples, and to purge and even exterminate Israel. It is certain thrusts which came from Romanism, in parallel, which were mordantly directed to Jews who did not bow to Rome, implicating the Romanist heresy in just this very thing: violence in the field of faith. Whatever else they had in mind does not remove this fact.
This is not the way of the Christ of the New Testament, of the Reformation which sought to correct the Romanist heresy, and many were the Christian martyrs to this same Romanism of which the politician speaks, and famous! Force and faith are as close as steaming vapour and ice. Jesus Christ made this pellucid; and He practised it in His own mission, turning it to vast advantage for all who heed, through His own death, applying it by the Holy Spirit in the resurrection. The New Testament ? it is a testament of His death for life, freely given. The FORCE was on HIM!
It would be good if the realities of the Reformation*3, the need for it, and far beyond all that, and the 500 or so years in which this has been made public and well-known, the actual facts of the New Testament should be made known. Contravention of it has nothing to do with its status. Killing in the name of the Queen, when she forbids it, has nothing to do with her Majesty! Killing in the name of One killed for an avenue for the peace of mankind is ludicrous, when the death with its accompanying resurrection is the very way itself to God, as IN that self-same New Testament. Blaming the New Testament appears almost as bad.
It is hoped that the confusion being lost, the realities will be realised. It is for one as for all, that the OTHER method applies, not killing but benefiting from the One who died to save sinners, and rose to justify them. It is not of force but of faith (Ephesians 2).
NOTES
The Christ of the Old Testament, the Messiah, death date given in Daniel 9 (as in The Christian Prescription Ch. 2), birth conditions in Micah 5, Isaiah 53, 9, sale price in Zechariah 11, sacrificial death in Isaiah 52-53, Gospel Isaiah 49-55, bodily resurrection Psalm 22, 16, Isaiah 26:19, rejection by the contemporary Israel (Isaiah 49:7, Micah 5) and so forth (cf. SMR pp. 934-943), is constantly seen to fulfil what was prescribed, and thus to fulfil His Old Testament identikit for the Messiah. In constant challenges, in word and deed, He made this clear, none refuting (John 8:21-53, Mark 2, 12:34, Matthew 22:46), though many tried to trip Him (cf. Matthew 22:23ff., Luke 11:49-54).
See Ch. 9 above, *1.
See for example, J. H. Merle d'Aubigné's The Reformation in England, and Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church, Vols. 7 and 8, on the Reformation, and Romanism's vast and sustained assault on loyal Christian people. See also Ancient Words ... Ch. 14.