No Jesus, No Hope. Jews and the Old Covenant
02 16 , 18:04 Filed in: Theology
These days we hear a lot of discussions, debates, and even outright attacks on Catholic truth. One of these truths is the unchangeable defined teaching of the revocation of the covenant of the Jews with God. In other words, those claim Judaism as their faith and by extension deny the Apostolic Catholic faith cannot hope for salvation (I am not referring to those who are innocently ignorant). No doubt, many that read this statement may be offended and even recoil at its implications and unfortunately many of those that disagree with this statement claim to be Catholic. But how is it that this covenant is now invalid? Aren't the Jews the “chosen people” of God? How is it that they are not to partake in eternity in heaven? To find the answer to these questions, we must start with holy scripture.
In the Old Testament, God made a covenant with Abraham of which He promised to bless his decedents with an eternal dwelling place. This covenant was based off of faith and therefore God fulfilled this covenant through the new covenant with His only Begotten Son, Jesus [1]. We also know from the Gospel according to John and in the First Epistle of John that no one may obtain the Father without the Son [2,3]. We even have Jesus Himself making it abundantly clear that those that deny Him, Jesus will also deny before the Father [4]. Jesus also cleared the air regarding unbelief in stating that those that deny Him as the Son of God is already condemned [5]. Some would say that this would be enough to settle the matter about the Jew's old covenant but of course even our Lord said that the Church would always be assailed by Satan even though it cannot be destroyed. And so some have misquoted Romans 11:29 saying the Jews are still among the chosen since God has not withdrawn the “gifts and calling of God”. The response to this is yes, it is true. God has not withdrawn his gifts from among the Jews nor has he stopped calling for their repentance. Especially when they denied His only Son and continue to do so, yes, he still loves them but without their conversion they cannot be saved. So therefore there are those that are severely misguided or maybe even resentful of the Church's history and lean on recent pastoral teachings for the sake of peace between different religions. These pastoral teachings, though well meaning, can have disastrous results if not first sealed with Apostolic teaching. For example, the Council of Florence (1438-1445) infallibly decreed that,
" It firmly believes, professes, and teaches that the matter pertaining to the law of the Old Testament, of the Mosaic law, which are divided into ceremonies, sacred rites, sacrifices, and sacraments, because they were established to signify something in the future, although they were suited to the divine worship at that time, after our Lord's coming had been signified by them, ceased, and the sacraments of the New Testament began; and that whoever, even after the passion, placed hope in these matters of the law and submitted himself to them as necessary for salvation, as if faith in Christ could not save without them, sinned mortally. Yet it does not deny that after the passion of Christ up to the promulgation of the Gospel they could have been observed until they were believed to be in no way necessary for salvation; but after the promulgation of the Gospel it asserts that they cannot be observed without the loss of eternal salvation. All, therefore, who after that time observe circumcision and the Sabbath and the other requirements of the law, it declares alien to the Christian faith and not in the least fit to participate in eternal salvation, unless someday they recover from these errors. Therefore, it commands all who glory in the name of Christian, at whatever time, before or after baptism, to cease entirely from circumcision, since, whether or not one places hope in it, it cannot be observed at all without the loss of eternal salvation.
And in the same Solemn Bull Cantate Domino (Pope Eugene IV - Council of Florence) ex cathedra:
It firmly believes, professes, and proclaims that those not living within the Catholic Church, not only pagans, but also Jews and heretics and schismatics cannot become participants in eternal life, but will depart “into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels” [Matt. 25:41], unless before the end of life the same have been added to the flock; and that the unity of the ecclesiastical body is so strong that only to those remaining in it are the sacraments of the Church of benefit for salvation, and do fastings, almsgiving, and other functions of piety and exercises of Christian service produce eternal reward, and that no one, whatever almsgiving he has practiced, even if he has shed blood for the name of Christ, can be saved, unless he has remained in the bosom and unity of the Catholic Church.
In other words, it is a Dogma of the Faith we all must share in Christ's Church to believe in order to live eternally with Christ in Heaven. There is no debate. There is no second opinion on the matter. There is only adherence to Christ and His Church which brings life or disobedience which brings death. And how can we know that the Church echoes Jesus' authority? Jesus firmly established Apostolic Truth to be echoed through His disciples when He said all those that listen to you listen to me and all those that deny you deny me as well [6]. So if we find ourselves at war with the belief that Jews are excluded from salvation unless they convert, then we are quite honestly at war with something even greater than ourselves.
1. matthew 26:28
2. John 14:6
3. 1 John 2:23
4. matthew 10:33
5. John 3:18
6. Luke 10:18