AUTHORS…ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL,- A DIGEST.

 

UNCHARACTERISTICALLY   UNGRACIOUS.

IGNATIUS,  circa. 105 ..He thought that the men of faith in the O.T. were “Christians before their time,” and, as such, were not real Jews. He saw Judaism as a religion of the past , a dead, unusable leaven. “Put aside then the evil leaven, which has grown old and sour, and turn to the new leaven, which is Jesus Christ.” To live according to the principles of Judaism is to live without grace.

The Epistle of Barnabas, circa. 100…An anonymous work which warned Christians to resist the old, Judaistic interpretation of the O.T., which had been misunderstood by the Jews, who had given it a literal interpretation. Their understanding of the O.T. ceremonial laws was a device of an evil angel,who  had thus deceived the Jews. This writer thought that the stories and truths in the O.T. were valuable only as allegories pointing to Christ and  New Testament truths, which spiritual meanings the Jews had failed to see.

Marcion, circa. 140… a  heretic. He suggested that their are two Gods: –the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ , who is inherently good, and the “Demiurge”,- the creator God of the Old Testament. The latter chose the Jews and gave his law to them, but everything in their legacy is unworthy of Christianity. The Jews, who had rejected Christ are wicked.

Justin Martyr, writing around 135-161….In his “Dialogue with Trypho” he contended that the new covenant had replaced the old one, and that the external observance of the law was superseded because it was intended only as a spiritual law. Jesus is the Messiah predicted by the prophets, and the rituals of the O.T  foreshadow Him. He asserted that the Jews have been replaced as the people of God by Christians, who are now the “Israel of God”, the true Israelites and the heirs of Abraham. God has now rejected the Jewish sacrificial system by allowing the destruction of their temple.                            The continued existence of the Jewish people serves as a witness to the truth of Christianity and the scriptures. The Jews,although guilty of deicide,can know salvation, but at present they labour under the errors of their rabbis, and remain hardened, foolish, useless and unfruitful. In fact, they serve the devil and persecute Christians.

    Justin in his “Apologies”  asserted that he Jews continue to misunderstand and refuse to believe the gospel; they even attack Christ and accuse Him of using magical  arts.

 

TO BE CONTINUED….