1. Benign Neglect Of The Jews Is Antisemitic
There are Christians who justify their neglect of Jewish evangelism with remarks such as, "I don't know
any Jews," "I've never thought about Judaism," "God hasn't called me to concern myself with Jews."
All are unsatisfactory excuses, because Scripture does not allow the option of overlooking the Jews.
Zechariah 1:15 is a very interesting verse . God tells the prophet, "I am highly displeased with the
goyim"---the Hebrew word can mean Gentiles, pagans, or nations---"who are at ease; for I was only
a little displeased, but they helped forward the affliction." How did the Gentiles help "forward the
affliction" of the Jews? By being "at ease"---indifferent, not caring, ignoring the situation.
What is right is to bring the Gospel to the Jewish people in a way that takes seriously their position
as the people of God, whose gift and calling, Paul wrote, are irrevocable. Or, to put it differently,
what is right is to be a channel for God's love to the Jews.
2. Purposeful Neglect, Justified By History, Is Antisemitic
There are also people who call themselves Christians who not only neglect Jews and refuse to evangelize
them, but do so on purpose and believe that they are right. However, others do not rely on emotions but
attempt to rationalize steering clear of Jewish evangelism by objective facts. A common Justification for not
evangelizing Jews arises from the Holocaust. Six million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis. During Hitler's
twelve-year rule the state churches were notoriously silent and weak in the face of a visible evil. Moreover,
mainstream Christian theology, if not actually antisemitic, was sufficiently cold toward Jews and Judaism to
allow virulent antisemitism to express itself unchecked. Many well-meaning Christians ask how, in the face
of such sin by the church, do we dare tell Jews they should believe in Jesus?
3. Purposeful Neglect, Justified By Theology, Is Antisemitic
Another way in which Christians who will not evangelize Jews justify themselves is through two-covenant
theology. This says that Jesus brought the covenant through which Gentiles emerge from paganism to
know the one true God, but the Jews already have the covenant through Moses, so they do not need
Yeshua the Messiah. In fact, it is both a diversion and an insult to tell Jews about him. But for anyone who
accepts the New Testament as God-given, one verse is enough to blow two-covenant theology out of the
arena, John 14:6: "Yeshua said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the father except
through me.''' This verse teaches that no one---neither Jew nor Gentile---comes to the Father except through
Yeshua the Messiah.
Shalom