The Pope's 2008 Message invites Christians and Jews to "rejoice together in the deep spiritual ethos of the Passover," and jointly to pursue "justice and mercy" among all peoples, looking toward the "prospect of universal brotherhood on the path of justice and peace, preparing the way of the Lord."

It is to be wondered that the claimed head of Christendom should preach to unbelieving Jews the pseudo-religion of universal brotherhood, justice and peace, and give no place to Christ's Great Commission to preach redemption through the cross of Christ to the whole world, "beginning at Jerusalem" (Luke 24:46-47).

The Vatican's 2002 and 2008 statements conform to a prescription laid down in 1998. At that time, leaders of Germany's Protestant and Jewish communities called on all Christians to end their efforts to convert Jews (Christian News, New Haven, MO, October 26, 1998). The Protestant leaders stated that "for both theological and historical reasons" the church has rejected the idea of a "mission to the Jews." Calling this a "theological reorientation," the joint statement condemned all forms of proselytism.

These ideas expressed by Protestant theologians and the Vatican are not new. They conflict, however, with Christian teaching. And they set against one another two of Christ's precepts - His blessing of "peacemakers" and His commandment to preach the gospel always and everywhere.

Scripture abounds with examples of the Christian message delivered often in the face of hostile resistance, beginning with Jesus Christ, Peter, Paul, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, as well as the old fathers, particularly Moses, Job, David and Isaiah. The great "cloud of witnesses" (Heb. 12:1) will judge how sharply the current man-made theories clash with this scriptural authority which spells out the Word all Christian leaders are bound to deliver:

Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God: Jesus "beheld the city [of Jerusalem], and wept over it, saying, 'If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace. But now they are hid from thine eyes.'" Luke 19:41-42.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John. 14:6.
"He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him." John 5:23.
"It is my Father that honoreth me; of whom ye say that he is your God: yet ye have not known him." John 8:54-55.
"And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not." John 5:38.
"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." John 5:40. "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." John 8:56.
"'What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?' They say unto him, 'The son of David.' He saith unto them, 'How then doth David in spirit call him Lord [in Psalm 110, v. 1]? . . . If David then call him Lord, how is he [David's] son?' And no man was able to answer him a word." Matt. 22:42-46.
"Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me." John 5:46. "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:31. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." John 8:58.
"He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18.
"He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." John 10:1. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep." John 10:7.
"When the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
"And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them." Matt. 21:38, 45.
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not. Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." Matt. 23:37-39 (spoken some while after His triumphal 'Palm Sunday' entry into Jerusalem - Matt. 21:1-9).

Moses:

"The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; "And the Lord said unto me, . . . I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." Deuteronomy 18:15, 17-19.

Job:

"For I know that my redeemer liveth [present tense, centuries before Christ], and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth." Job 19:25.

Isaiah:

"The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. But Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."

Isaiah 1:3. "He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. . . . The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:5-6. "For the transgression of my people was he stricken." Isaiah 53:8. "He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12.

David:

"Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Psalm 16:10.

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Psalm 110:1.

St. Peter - to the Jewish leaders: "Neither is there salvation in any other [but Jesus Christ]: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

Jewish leaders "commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. "But Peter and John answered and said unto them, 'Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.'" Acts 4:18-20.

"Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Acts 10:34.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; . . . whom they slew and hanged on a tree: him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly;

"And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he who was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins." Acts 10:38-40,42-43.

St. Paul:

"Christ sent me . . . to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." I Cor. 1:17.

"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." I Cor. 1:23-24.

"'I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.'" Rom. 9:33.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Rom. 1:16.

"But to Israel he saith, 'All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.'" Rom. 10:21.

"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Rom. 10:3.

"[B]lindness in part is happened unto Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved." Rom. 11:25-26. "Esaias [Isaiah] also crieth concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.'" Rom. 9:27. "[A]t this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." Rom. 11:5.

"For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." Rom. 9:6. "For there is no respect of persons with God." Rom. 2:11. "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, 'And to seeds,' as of many; but as of one, 'And to thy seed,' which is Christ." Gal. 3:16.

"[Sarah and Hagar] are the two covenants; the one from mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is [H]Agar. For this [H]Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." Gal. 4.24-26. "For through him [Jesus Christ] we both [Jews and Gentiles] have access by one Spirit unto the Father." Eph.2:18.

"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek." Rom. 10:12.

"For ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." Gal. 3:28-29.

"Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." Rom. 10:1.

(to the Jews): "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" Hebrews 2:3.

"If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema [accursed] Maranatha." I Cor. 16:22.
"Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
"As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Gal. 1:8-9.
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them." Rom. 16:17.

John the Baptist - to the Jews:

"Think not to say within yourselves, 'We have Abraham to our father:' for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." Matt.3:9; Luke 3:8.

[God has now done this. As He raised up Isaac out of the "deadness of Sarah's womb" (Rom. 4:19), He raised up Jesus from the deadness of the grave, and with Him all Christians who have been "baptized into [Christ's] death" (Rom. 6:3), "buried with him in baptism wherein also ye are risen with him" (Col. 2:12). The one true seed and heir of Abraham is Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:16), and all those also who are Christ's (Gal. 3:29). The true children of Abraham have been raised up with Christ from the stony grave out of which He arose.]

St. John:

"Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father." I John 2:23.
"Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?" I John 2:22.
"He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." I John 5:10-12.
"Whosoever ... abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God." II John 9.
"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." II John 10-11.

Jesus Christ:

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. "But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." Matt.10:32-33.

---Stephen Cooper is Editor of The SOJOURNER, Ascensiontide 2007. He is a member of The Church of the Redeemer, Anglican, Fairbanks, Alaska, a Continuing Anglican parish founded in 1980. Mr. Cooper is a layman and an attorney, federal prosecutor and former state District Attorney. He was National Chancellor of the American Episcopal Church (under Archbishop Anthony Clavier) from 1987-1988 and Chancellor of the Diocese of the West (AEC and ACA) 1986-1995 and Provincial Chancellor, Province of the West, ACA 1993-1996. He is author of "Reclaiming Our Heritage -- A Call to Return to the Original Mission of the Continuing Church.