I think you are all misreading, or deliberately misinterpreting, what I said.
It’s not as if God made a Covenant with the Jews, and then along came Jesus a couple of thousand years later and everything changed. Jesus was there from the beginning, at the Creation and before, as the Second Person of the Trinity. He and the Holy Spirit were part of the deal God made with the Jews, although the Jews didn’t realize it.
Of course, Jesus invited and invites all Jews to become Christians. In the early days of the Church, it was thought that the Jews would fade away. But they haven’t, not for two thousand years. Christianity was the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, but it did not SUPERSEDE or REPLACE Judaism, evidently, since the Jews are still with us.
That is a mystery. But God does not force anyone to convert; He invites them.
Pope Francis was being friendly with the Rabbi of Rome. For God’s own reasons, there are still faithful Jews who observe the Old Covenant. And God declared repeatedly that that Covenant was “eternal,” or “forever” (depending on the translation).
Pope Francis would welcome the Rabbi to the Church, and the Rabbi knows that. But he isn’t going to rudely proselytize him at a friendly meeting, still less tell him that he is damned unless he converts—which isn’t true.
According to Catholic teaching, no one can be saved without the grace of Jesus. But that grace can be channeled to virtuous pagans or to faithful Jews.
If I were a Jew and thought as I do, then I would certainly convert—as I once converted from Episcopal to Catholic. But I do not argue that all Jews are damned unless they go to some Evangelical church or tent and loudly declare that they have found Christ.
Thank you.
Actually, what I misread is the post to which you were responding.
I do not believe that Jews who reject the Messiah will be saved if they remain faithful to the old covenant. The Law never saved anyone and was not intended to. Therefore, any Jews who do not put their faith in the Messiah will be damned as anyone who does not is.
But I do not argue that all Jews are damned unless they go to some Evangelical church or tent and loudly declare that they have found Christ.
You were doing fine until that last comment.
That is NOT how one is saved, Jew or Greek.
Talk is cheap. It's a heart change, repentance from and confession of sin and accepting the Messiah. Going forward in a tent meeting loudly declaring they have found Christ does not save any more than being baptized, doing good works, or anything else any religion sets up as a means of salvation.
I was not saved in a church and I know plenty of others who were not either.