In our recent Yorkshire Reformed Ministers Fraternal, we had an excellent paper from Rev. Stephen Sizer. He explored the frail biblical basis of Christian Zionism. The link to the talk from him is: https://www.dropbox.com/s/eif97zudq98q6pi/Zions%20Christian%20Soldiers%20Stephen%20Sizer%20YRMF.mp3
I trust that this will be a helpful resource for those Christians who struggle to see why sections of the church become Israel fanatics or to understand why some Christians wrongly seem to become engrossed in Middle Eastern politics.
The Lord Jesus Christ said: “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world", John 18:36.
25 comments:
I am. Jewish Christian who attends Grace Community Church in Leeds. I wondered whether you had come across this piece by Nick Howard (previously of the Association of Evangelists) and why you decided to invite someone with as dubious a track record as Stephen Sizer to your meeting?
http://hurryupharry.org/2011/12/27/rev-nick-howard-the-church-of-england-must-take-action-against-rev-stephen-sizer/
Odd that the fraternal rejects ecumenism and yet has Sizer who speaks in Mosques and also other non-evangelical Christian denominations?
Sizer has a sad and long history of saying hateful things about Israelis in a way quite out of character with the Apostles and the Saviour would disown. He once publicly described Messianic Jews as 'an abomination'.
Is this the kind of speaker you wish to promote?
Romans 8 declares that nothing can separate us from the love of God. Paul then immediately addresses the question of Israel, why? Because they are the worst possible case against what he has just said in Romans 8. They were in the love of God (Deut 7: 7-8, Isaiah 63: 9-10) yet they failed, to the point of killing his own son, sent to bless them. Surely they prove that we can be separated from the love of God, that our sin is stronger than his love. That our sin can force him to break his promises (see Jeremiah 31). But what does Paul say? Firstly, that he loves them with God’s love. All the reasons he is broken over their present disobedience are God’s reasons and proofs of love. Secondly, that they need to be saved (10:1), and finally, that the natural branches will indeed be grafted back in, that all Israel will be saved, because the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. Israel do not show the limit of God’s love, rather they show its triumph. On that day, they will say, of ourselves, we sinned, given every blessing we sinned to the point of killing God’s dear son, yet he never stopped loving us, in every generation there was a remnant saved by grace, and finally, all Israel have been saved. Of ourselves, we are nothing, we are monuments to his grace, Praise his name forever!
How will all Israel be saved? Look at Zechariah 12-14. When Jesus returns to the Mt of Olives (as per Acts 1:11) they will look on him whom they have pierced, mourn for him and a fountain will be opened to cleanse them from their sin. That is, they are saved just as you and I were, by conviction of sin (they shall look on him whom they have pierced), deep repentance (they shall mourn for him) and finally, baptism (and a fountain shall be opened for them, to cleanse them from sin). Israel were initially called to be a nation of priests, to show God’s ways to the world, and here in the sight of all the nations, they show the way of salvation. Not by works, but by looking to Jesus. For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. God has determined to save them, and because he does not change, they are not destroyed. See Hosea etc.
Or look at Joseph, rejected by his own brothers, he then rules over Gentiles who are blessed, until drought forces the brothers to go to Egypt, because they need what the people ruled by Joseph have (Romans 11:13-14). Finally, when they confess (Gen 42:22) and show they would not do the same again, (Gen 45:30-34) Joseph reveals himself as their brother who has saved them. And Pharaoh hears of it and what??? Does he say, no Joseph is ours, if he still loves his brothers of the flesh, then maybe he will stop caring for us?? No, he is delighted, and all Egypt with him. If only the Gentile church had such grace today!!
Think on this, I sin, I let God down. Will he abandon me? I look at the restored nation of Israel and know that his love never gives up, and that if I confess he will receive me back and still use and bless me. We do not worship a divorcee! Paul speaks of the “grace of apostleship” – I don’t deserve this, but you still stoop to use me, to give me value. And just as Paul, the chief of sinners was miraculously converted and sent to be the apostle to the Gentiles, so the miraculously converted Israel in Zech 8:23! For the gifts and calling are without repentance. Note finally that the gifts there do include possession of the land promised to them, for in Jesus all the promises of God find their yes! And God will give him the throne of his father David.
James,
Let me respond to you first and let me thank you for taking the time to comment on this blog. It appears that the four comments that have been posted demonstrate a depth of feeling regarding this particular Christian minister being invited to address the Yorkshire Reformed Ministers Fraternal in Leeds recently.
Our inviting someone to speak does not mean that we endorse everything that anyone has ever said. I am sure that you understand this. Our primary aim was to critically evaluate a dispensational theology which is in effect a replacement theology regarding the Jews. They replace the church with Israel.
Our question is not primarily what does Stephen Sizer think, but what does the Scripture say? (Romans 4:3). I suspect that it is not Stephen Sizer that you do not like, but that he does not agree with your theology.
I hope that helps to answer your comment,
Kevin B
I think my comment to James answers the roshpinaproject comment also. I presume that you are all friends together making comments which is absolutely fine. I will plod my way through and answer the other comments also.
I have a past blog post that may help and the link is: http://kevinbidwell.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=revelation
What IS wrong with engrossment in Middle East Politics is Dr. Stephen Sizer's engrossment with the Palestinians (note the large flag of a non-existent state behind him as he spoke), these rebellious Muslim Arabs who refuse to accept the International Rule of Law as exemplified by the UN Resolution of 1948 creating Israel as a Nation. Dr. Sizer affiliates with middle east politics to the point of waving the flag of Anti-Semites who want to expel all Jews from the Holy Land. Are we now returning to 1290 AD, the times of King Edward the First, when Jews were expelled from England beginning with his edict issued at York? Beware what spirit is behind such Replacement Theology as Sizer's, a theology that began with Papal Rome in the 5th century about the same time as the rise of the Murderer of Infidels (Mohamed) Such a nice crowd your Pastors Fraternal affiliate with, Popes and Muslims? This,your weird theology, is another Gospel, not the Gospel of the Christ whom I serve. Rev. Lloyd McDougall
Rev Lloyd,
I am not going to engage with open discussion with you on my blog because I do not know you at all and you have no idea of the joy of the reformed fellowship our fraternal has. To assert with high emotion that our ministers in the reformed fraternal hold to weird theology, one that is no gospel, is a completely false and inaccurate statement from you.
We as a church in Sheffield hold to the Westminster Standards, including the historic creeds such as the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds. Could you disclose publicly for us, what confession of you faith you subscribe to as a minister so that we can openly consider what gospel you hold to? I am sure that you are not going to assert that people who wholeheartedly confess the Westminster Standards are bearers of a false gospel.
Proverbs 15:1 is always helpful for all of us: A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger".
In the work,
Kevin Bidwell
Hello Kevin
Thank you for your reply.
I am not a dispensationalist and would share many of Rev Sizer's concerns about how that theology treats Jews as pawns in an eschatological game of chess.
I also have many concerns about Rev Sizer's long track record of making anti-Semitic comments and statements, as detailed in Nick Howard's piece at http://hurryupharry.org/2011/12/27/rev-nick-howard-the-church-of-england-must-take-action-against-rev-stephen-sizer/
Had you come across that piece before you decided t invite him?
Hi Kevin, I thought i did look at what Scripture said.
God bless,
Colin
PS We don't all know each other, probably all came to this blog from the same link on the Rosh Pina Project blog.
I assume if I were to come to your church Kevin that I would hear a prayer for the salvation of the Jewish people before the sermon, a prayer that is for "all Israel shall be saved" linked as it is in the Directory to the fullness of the Gentiles as per The Westminster Directory for Public Worship:
"To pray for the propagation of the gospel and kingdom of Christ to all nations; for the conversion of the Jews, the fulness of the Gentiles, the fall of Antichrist, and the hastening of the second coming of our Lord;" (http://www.epcew.org.uk/dpw/DPW.html#publicprayerbeforesermon) Your denomination holds to this I see.
Belief in Replacement Theology and the end of God's purposes with the Jewish people seems very much at odds with Westminster. To hear Sizer claim the Jews were never God's people is at total odds with the sentiment and spirit of what is in your own public directory for worship. I do hope Sizer was challenged for this and other such unhelpful extreme statements.
Rich,
I am delighted that you have been browsing through the Westminster Directory for public worship. As you can see there is a vibrant passion in these documents of the Westminster Assembly to pray for the conversion of the Jewish people.
This in itself dispels inaccurate myths that because we reject dispensational doctrines that we cannot embrace praying for the Jewish people. Much misunderstanding abounds and we must all be very careful to not misrepresent people in the heat of the moment and therefore end up breaking the ninth commandment.
Of course we do not pray for the conversion of the Jews in every service, just like we do not pray for Brazil in every service. Now I know that you would object and claim that the Brazilians, for example, are not on the same footing as the Jews, but both people groups are in equal need of salvation. See Romans 2:12-3:9. Paul concludes his thread in this part of Romans: "What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin" 3:9.
I hope that this response helps.
In the work of the gospel,
Kevin Bidwell
Hi Kevin,
Westminster is not replacementist, the Westminster Larger Catechism highlights prayer for the Jews linked to the fulness of the Gentiles too in the exposition on the Lord's Prayer.
My deep concern with Sizer is that he used his attack on Dispensationalism as a Trojan horse to attack all Christian support for Israel and Israel herself. His claim that the Jews were never the Chosen People is a scandalous denial of the Bible and the POV of the Westminster authors. It is also a contradiction of what he has said publicaly when on a Revelation TV debate.
I think for myself Dispensationalism is not the issue, it is that a man such a Sizer was invited to spread his lies to ministers, I mean, really are all these churches plagued with dispensationalists to the extent that you needed to invite this highly contentious man!?
Rich,
Out of interest what is POV? Are you based in the UK and which is your church where you worship?
Kevin B
www.sheffieldpres.org.uk
POV - point of view.
If it makes a difference, Yes UK, Grace Community Church, Leeds.
Kevin
Please reply to the question I raised in my comment on 4 June at 20:04.
Thanks
James
James,
I have never come across that piece before inviting Stephen Sizer. I had read a book by him.
I want to raise a point with you. The Scripture says that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses every matter shall be established. As an ordained elder in God's church we need to make the point our decision making is not on the basis of a blog post by someone. Who is the person writing the blog? What credentials do they have? What church are they part of?
My asking you what church you were a member of was a vital question. There can be a great problem of unaccountability of people writing blog posts on Christian subjects. I hope that makes sense.
Kevin B
Kevin
I have already told you which church I belong to, though perhaps you are confusing me with Rich.
Nick Howard (son of Michael Howard, former leader of the COnservative Party) used to work for the Association of Evangelists, he has since been ordained by the Convocation of Anglican North Americans and works for Christ Church New York City. Given how well known he is (largely because of who his Dad is), I would be surprised if you had not at least come across his name before.
Thanks James,
Kevin B
You're welcome, Kevin. Now that you know who Nick Howard is and what his credentials are, please evaluate the evidence in his piece and let us know whether you still think it was appropriate to give Stephen Sizer a platform.
Hi Kevin,
hoping you are also working on a response to my thought.
God bless,
Colin
Kevin, so do you agree with Sizer's latest claims that Christian supporters of Israel are Jihadists? Or that Israel ordered the kidnap of its own children? Can you begin to see why there is such strong disgust that you invited him to spread his malice to ministers in Yorkshire?
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