The world has witnessed a disturbing surge of antisemitism and hostility toward Israel since October 7. The obsessive focus on Israel seems irrational, but it shouldn’t surprise those who know their Bible. This ancient hatred traces back to the enmity between the woman’s seed and the serpent’s seed (Gen. 3:15) – a conflict unfolding throughout history. Australia is clearly not immune to this disease. According to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, antisemitic incidents surged by 316% in September 2024 compared to the same period in the previous year. This alarming trend continues, as highlighted by recent attacks in Melbourne.
In this climate, we must stand with the Jewish people but also examine our own hearts. Paul warned against arrogance toward Israel (Rom. 11:18), yet many remain unaware of this spiritual battle – or worse, adopt the very arrogance Paul admonished. While we denounce antisemitism on the far left and radical Islam, we must also address our own house, for judgment begins with the household of God (1 Pet. 4:17). Otherwise, we risk judgment ourselves for how we treated the apple of God’s eye (Zech. 2:8).
History underscores the urgency. During the Holocaust, too many Christians remained silent. We must repent and ensure such failures are never again repeated. This includes rejecting replacement theology, which fuelled Christian antisemitism.
Replacement theology and its fruits
‘Replacement theology’ is the idea that the Church has replaced Israel as God’s chosen people, leaving Israel with no role in God’s redemptive plan. More extreme forms claim Israel is not only irrelevant but rejected and punished for rejecting Christ.
Its roots trace back as early as the first century, when the once Jewish-led Church increasingly became Gentile in composition following the Temple’s destruction and Bar Kokhba revolt. Meanwhile, as the Church and Synagogue began to define themselves in opposition to each other, anti-Jewish homilies – the Adversus Judaeos tradition – came to characterise the writings of prominent Church fathers.
Replacement theology also emerged as the Hellenistic worldview displaced the Jewish worldview of the early disciples. This viewed the material world as inherently evil and taught that the goal was to escape it in favour of a spiritual existence. As such, Scripture began to be interpreted allegorically, allowing the Church to spiritualise the literal promises to Israel. Afterall, carnal Israel had no place in a worldview that saw the physical realm as corrupt. Thus, Israel’s promises were redefined as spiritually fulfilled in the Church, rendering Israel irrelevant and laying the foundation for Christendom’s anti-Judaism.
The Council of Nicaea (AD 325) was a consequential moment in the Church’s turn to anti-Judaism. In separating the date of Easter from Passover, Constantine remarked, “We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews”. This encapsulated the notion that Christianity no longer had any business with Judaism. Over time, Jews were demonised as “Christ killers” and subject to “blood libels”, including false accusations of ritual murder. One common accusation was that Jews sacrificed Christian children at Passover to obtain blood for unleavened bread. This manifested in centuries of violence, setting the stage for the Holocaust.
Christian Anti-Judaism in Nazi Germany
A dichotomy is often drawn between Nazi antisemitism and Christian anti-Judaism to absolve Christians of responsibility for the Holocaust, with the latter construed as a religious prejudice as opposed to the Nazis’ racialised hatred. However, the Nazis could not have risen to power without centuries of Christian anti-Judaism, rooted in replacement theology, numbing the conscience of majority Christian Europe regarding the plight of the Jews.
Besides benefitting from Christian anti-Judaism for popular support, the Nazis modelled some of their most notorious policies on Christendom’s example. For instance, badges, ghettos, bans on intermarriage and synagogue destruction were all previously implemented by Christian authorities to marginalise Jews, in accordance with replacement theology. Ultimately, a Christendom beset by replacement theology set precedents the Nazis exploited.
Martin Luther’s writings further highlight how Christian prejudice facilitated Nazi ideology. His treatise On the Jews and Their Lies provided a disturbing blueprint for Nazi policies. He called for burning synagogues and destroying Jewish homes, as echoed in Kristallnacht, and demanded Jews “earn their bread in the sweat of their brow,” as realised in concentration camps. Unsurprisingly, the Nazis used Luther for their propaganda purposes and Hitler cited him in Mein Kampf.
Additionally, the Nazis’ promotion of “Positive Christianity” – a distorted, Nazified version of the faith – relied on a dejudaised reinterpretation of Christian doctrine, which excluded the Old Testament and reimagined Jesus as an Aryan. Such aberrations were made plausible by replacement theology, which legitimised the idea of a Christianity divorced from its Jewish roots.
While some Christians bravely resisted, the fact remains that the Nazis succeeded in a majority Christian nation. Had Christians collectively opposed Nazi antisemitism, it could have discredited the regime’s legitimacy. It’s hard to imagine the Nazis having succeeded in the face of a German Church that embraced God’s enduring covenant with Israel and the promise to bless those who bless Israel (Gen. 12:3).
Ultimately, a tree is known by its fruit (Luke 6:43-45), and history has exposed replacement theology as yielding tragic, bitter fruit.
Consequences of Christian antisemitism
Christian antisemitism carries grave spiritual consequences. Scripture consistently warns of judgment for those who mistreat Israel – from Genesis 12:3, where God vows to curse those who curse Israel, to Joel 3:1-3, which foretells judgment on nations that scatter His people and divide their land. Jesus alludes to this same judgment in Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and goats. If, as some scholars believe, “the least of these my brethren” refers to the Jewish people, then Jesus is warning that nations will be judged for how they treated Israel.
Given this, the Church must repent for centuries of antisemitism rooted in replacement theology. Repentance requires aligning with God’s heart for Israel, as powerfully expressed in Isaiah 62:1-5. We are also called to comfort Israel (Isa. 40:1) and pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Ps. 122:6).
This does not mean blind endorsement of every Israeli government action, but it does mean rejecting anti-Zionism, which is used as a politically correct fig leaf for antisemitism. Afterall, anti-Zionism denies the Jewish people their right to self-determination in their homeland.
We must also call out modern blood libels, which fuel antisemitism on our streets today. Lies accusing Jews of killing Christian children now resurface in accusations that the IDF targets Palestinian children. Historical charges blaming Jews for disasters like the Black Death now echo in claims that Israel is committing genocide. Conspiracy theories centred on Jewish global control have been rebranded as warnings about the “Israel lobby.” These recycled lies expose Satan’s limited creativity but effective deception, which Christians have a duty to stand against.
Christians must reject these narratives, recognise their roots in Church history, and stand firmly for truth. We cannot remain lukewarm. Jesus will judge us on how we treated His family, and we must take a clear stand. 1700 years after Nicaea – Call to Prayer
This year marked 1700 years since the Council of Nicaea. Given Nicaea’s role in distancing the Church from its Jewish roots, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) invited believers worldwide to pray and fast over this tragic history. As part of ICEJ’s weekly Global Prayer, one day a week was designated between May 18 to August 24 – the Council’s approximate anniversary dates. We give thanks for Nicaea’s good fruits, while interceding for healing of historic wounds it caused with the Jewish people. To join our weekly Australian prayer, visit: icej.org.au/pray-with-us
Stand with Israel at the Feast of Tabernacles
Another way to stand with Israel as it emerges from the conflict is to join Australians for this year’s Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. This year’s theme is “Ten from Every Nation”, a prophetic vision from Zechariah 8:23.
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