Dear Editor:
RE: Anti-semitism common, Oct. 27.
Yes, anti-semitism does exist and probably will always, just as other forms of injustices towards different people groups.
Are Jews labelled as “Christ-killers” and depicted as such in the gospels? Which gospels? Who are the authors that she says are blaming Jews instead of Pontius Pilate for crucifying Jesus? Matthew, Mark, Luke, Peter or John? Is not all scripture “God-breathed” and nothing that is written in scripture comes from any man or woman? God is the author of all scripture and he chose a variety of people to write what He wanted.
None of the writers claimed that any of the scripture comes from their own thoughts or beliefs. As for the accuracy of events written after the death of Jesus, Luke 1: 1,2 says “Many have undertaken to draw up an account of things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eye witnesses (my emphasis) and servants of the word.”
Since God is the author of all scripture, he cannot allow lies or untruths to be part of the information contained in the Bible. The unpleasant truth that Jewish religious elites, priests, officers and people themselves turned against Jesus may be hard to take or understand. Three times Pontius Pilate (a Roman authority) told religious leaders and the gathered crowd that he, and Herod (also Roman) could find no charges against Jesus to have him put to death or crucified. It was Judas (a Jew) who was paid by Chief Priests and officers of the Temple Guard to plot how to betray Christ.
Mark 14: 53-65 also chronicles the condemning of Jesus by Jewish authorities. Many of the early believers or Christians were Jews as described in Acts 2: 1-41 the Day of Pentecost. Verse 5 reads “Now they were staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.” Three thousand new believers were counted that day when Peter gave the message of the sacrifice that Christ made for all. Many or most of them would have been Jews.
It should be noted that Jesus was never stoned by anyone, John 8: 59. We must remember that no one, Jews or Gentiles, came forward to defend Jesus when he was wrongly charged. The history of mankind is rather ugly and difficult to acknowledge at times. Scripture says all have sinned and need salvation through Christ, a good starting point to think about.
In John 16: 33 Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Michael Thorp,
Mount Forest