Dogma as Man-Made Ordinance

The Greek word δόγμα (dogma) originally meant “that which seems, sc. good or true”; essentially an opinion or decision. In classical Greece, a city assembly’s decree was called a δόγμα (“that which seemed good to the assembly”). Thus dogma began as a human decree or belief, not as a divine command. In the New Testament the term carries that same sense: Paul speaks of “the law containing precepts in the form of decrees” (ὁ νόμος τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι, Ephesians 2:15) and of the “handwriting of ordinances” against us (τὸ καθ’ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῖς δόγμασι, Colossians 2:14). In other words, δόγμα in Scripture refers to man-made rules or rites (ceremonial decrees), not to God’s immutable law.

Jesus Himself distinguished God’s eternal commandments from human traditions. He declared: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt 5:17–18). He warned that not even the smallest stroke of the Law will disappear (Matt 5:18) and affirmed that whoever obeys God’s commands “will be called great in the kingdom of heaven”. In light of this, Colossians 2:14–17 makes clear what was nailed to the cross: not God’s moral Law but “the ordinances which were against us” (KJV, Col 2:14); the human decrees that burdened Israel. The ceremonial and scribal requirements (the “handwriting of ordinances”) were “blotted out” by Christ, while God’s commandments remain in force by His own design (cf. Col 2:14; Matt 5:17–19).

Now consider how utterly absurd, theologically incoherent, and spiritually rebellious it is that the Roman Catholic Church would later build its entire ecclesiastical authority upon the very thing that Christ blotted out—man-made decrees. The cross was the divine instrument by which Christ triumphed over the powers and authorities (Col 2:15); disarming them, including all human traditions that had enslaved the conscience. For the RCC to resurrect and enthrone dogma as binding law is therefore an act of theological apostasy; reversing the victory of the cross and re-imposing the very yoke that Christ destroyed.

Moreover, the audacity of this is compounded by the RCC’s formal claim that its dogmas are infallible—to be received de fide (as if divinely revealed). But by definition a δόγμα is not divine revelation: it is a human decree. To treat it otherwise is to pervert the nature of divine authority, and to elevate man above God. It is precisely this inversion that Scripture condemns: “In vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt 15:9; cf. Isa 29:13). Such worship is vain; empty, worthless; because it is grounded not in what God has said, but in what man has devised.

And worse still, this elevation of man-made dogmas has not led to faithfulness to God’s Law. Rather, it has led the RCC into lawlessness (ἀνομία); the very condition Scripture warns will characterize the last days (Matt 7:21–23; 2 Thess 2:3–12). The RCC not only substitutes human tradition for divine command, but openly violates the moral Law of God, going so far as to erase the Sabbath as the day of worship from its public teaching and catechism; directly contradicting the very Law Christ affirmed (Matt 5:17–19).

Thus the tragic irony: the Church that claims to be Mater et Magistra (Mother and Teacher of all Christians) is in fact a teacher of lawlessness; imposing man-made decrees while rejecting the Law of the Lord. As Paul warned, such lawlessness is not neutral: “the mystery of lawlessness is already at work” (2 Thess 2:7), preparing the way for greater deception.

Over time, the Roman Catholic Church came to use dogma for officially defined doctrines. Many Catholic dogmas were formalized centuries after the New Testament era and are not explicitly taught in Scripture. For example, doctrines like the Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption of Mary (1950) were defined by papal decree only in modern times. Critics note these have “no direct biblical support”; the Assumption dogma, for instance, was declared in 1950 despite the New Testament saying nothing about Mary’s end of life. Even central doctrines such as Augustine’s theory of inherited guilt (original sin) “were unknown to the first-century church… became dogma by the 5th century.” In many cases, Catholic theologians “arbitrarily” added requirements not found in the New Testament (sacramental rites, penances, indulgences, veneration of images), anathematizing sola fide (faith alone) at Trent (1547) and thereby corrupting the simplicity of the gospel of grace.

In sum, Catholic dogmas became institutionalized human traditions masquerading as divine revelation; binding Catholic consciences to extra-biblical inventions. As one historian observes, it is “a prime example of how the Catholic magisterium can impose as obligatory belief something with no biblical proof.” This development has led to ecclesiastical legalism and spiritual tyranny, where human pronouncements (dogmata) are treated as the voice of God; a complete usurpation of divine authority.

In theological terms, such a system is not merely misguided; it is a profound violation of sola Scriptura; the principle that only God’s Word is the supreme authority for faith and life. The RCC’s enthronement of dogma is nothing less than a re-invention of the Judaizing heresy; binding believers to man-made ordinances, thus denying the sufficiency of Christ’s finished work on the cross.

To elevate man-made decrees above the revealed Law of God is to walk in the very lawlessness that Christ and His apostles condemned. It is to rebuild the dividing wall of hostility that Christ tore down (Eph 2:14–15), and to substitute the traditions of men for the commandments of God (Mark 7:8–13). In the end, dogma is simply that; human opinion; and no amount of ecclesiastical decree can transmute it into divine truth.

“Forever, O LORD, Your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.” (Psalm 119:89)

Refutation of Replacement Theology

Replacement theology (supersessionism) is the view that the Church has entirely replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. This notion traces back to early Church fathers like Justin Martyr (2nd century), who spoke of a “New Israel” superseding biblical Israel. Under Constantine (4th century), church councils formalized a break with Judaism – for instance, the Council of Nicaea (325 AD) detached Easter from Passover, effectively severing Christian worship from its Jewish roots. But the claim that God permanently rejected ethnic Israel contradicts the Bible’s teaching. Scripture repeatedly affirms that God preserves a faithful remnant of Israel and that His covenant promises to Israel endure.

In Romans 11, Paul confronts the idea that God has rejected Israel. He asks, “Has God cast away his people? By no means!” (Rom 11:1). God’s plan includes a “partial hardening” of Israel only until “the full number of the Gentiles has come in”. In other words, God is grafting Gentile believers into His people while preserving Israel for a future restoration. Paul explicitly says that “all Israel will be saved” when their time comes (Rom 11:26). As one commentator notes, Gentiles are invited into covenant relationship alongside Israel, not in replacement of it. He further explains that although some branches of Israel were broken off by unbelief, “they can be grafted back in” (Rom 11:24). This imagery makes clear that Jewish and Gentile believers form one olive tree (one people of God) – God can restore Jewish branches at any time.

Likewise, Paul speaks of a mystery revealed to him: that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph 3:6). This means Gentile Christians share fully in the blessings promised to Abraham, but it does not mean Israel’s covenant is void. Henry Grattan Guinness (1888) summarizes this teaching: “the mystery of God is the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles”, a temporary phase that ends with Israel’s restoration. In his chronology of prophecy, Guinness notes that Christ’s sacrifice “confirmed the new covenant with ‘many’ – not with the nation of Israel, but with many, both Jews and Gentiles”. This combines Jeremiah’s promise of a “New Covenant” (Jer 31:31–34) with Paul’s revelation: Jews and Gentiles are united in Christ as one body (Eph 3:6). Still, Israel’s place is not erased – rather, Gentile believers are grafted in alongside Israel.

Key passages reaffirm Israel’s ongoing role. Jeremiah 30–31 prophesy that God will restore Israel and Judah under an everlasting covenant. Romans 11:25–26 says a partial hardening of Israel will end when “the full number of the Gentiles” comes in, after which “all Israel (God's people) will be saved”. Ephesians 3:6 insists that Gentiles are fellow heirs with Israel in Christ. The Book of Revelation (7:4–8) pictures 144,000 sealed from all twelve tribes of Israel – a vivid image of Israel’s central place in the end-times. These and other prophecies (Daniel’s visions, Zechariah, etc.) portray a future where Israel remains God’s covenant people, receiving divine blessing and restoration.

A Pattern of Rebellion Against God and His People

When the institutional Church embraced Replacement Theology, it unleashed tragic and far-reaching consequences for Jewish people; consequences that were neither accidental nor isolated, but part of a larger spiritual pattern of rebellion against the true God and His covenant.

From the beginning, the Roman Empire was not a neutral backdrop for the early Church; it was steeped in idolatry and imperial blasphemy. Roman emperors from Augustus onward claimed semi-divine status. By the time of Domitian (81–96 AD), the imperial cult was full-fledged: Domitian openly demanded to be called Dominus et Deus; Lord and God. Earlier, Julius Caesar and subsequent Caesars were declared “divine” posthumously and worshipped in temples across the empire. Emperors increasingly portrayed themselves as the mediators of cosmic order, the Pontifex Maximus (chief priest), and the guarantors of religious orthodoxy; roles that directly usurped God’s place.

This imperial arrogance was inherently hostile to both the God of Israel and the Jewish people, who uniquely proclaimed the one true God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and rejected all idolatry; including emperor worship. The Jews’ refusal to burn incense to Caesar marked them as subversive in Roman eyes. Over and over, imperial edicts sought to crush Jewish identity and religious practice. The emperor Hadrian (117–138 AD) explicitly banned circumcision and Torah study after the Bar Kokhba revolt, rebuilt Jerusalem as a pagan city (Aelia Capitolina), and dedicated a temple to Jupiter on the Temple Mount. Other emperors imposed heavy taxes on Jews (the Fiscus Judaicus) and encouraged their marginalization.

In this light, it is no surprise that Rome was the agent of Christ’s crucifixion. While corrupt Jewish leaders conspired, it was the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who exercised final authority and issued the death sentence—Rome had the final say over whether Christ would be murdered or not (John 19:10–11). In crucifying Jesus, Rome attacked the embodiment of the covenant promises to Israel; the Messiah Himself.

As the centuries progressed, a spiritual pattern emerged: those who sought to usurp God’s authority invariably set themselves against the Jewish people. Pagan Rome worshipped the sun and other celestial powers, blending emperor worship with the cult of Sol Invictus, which was officially adopted in the late empire and heavily influenced early Christian calendar reforms (notably the shift from Sabbath (Saturday) to Sunday). The drive to replace Israel was fundamentally a drive to replace the authority of God with human authority; and to obliterate the covenantal signposts of God’s faithfulness.

When the Roman state merged with the institutional Church after Constantine, this same spirit of rebellion infiltrated Christian theology. Popes began to assume imperial titles and prerogatives. The pope was styled Vicarius Filii Dei; Vicar of the Son of God; a functional claim to divine representation on earth. Some medieval papal statements even used language suggesting semi-divine status. Like the Caesars, they claimed universal jurisdiction, demanded submission of kings and emperors, and arrogated to themselves authority over Scripture itself. In short, the papacy perpetuated the imperial pattern: asserting itself as the ultimate religious authority on earth; above Israel, above the Law, and above Scripture.

In this context, Replacement Theology served as a theological tool of imperial ambition. By teaching that the Church had permanently replaced Israel, the Roman Church justified its appropriation of biblical titles (such as “new Israel,” “kingdom of priests,” “holy nation”) and its suppression of Jewish existence. The result was centuries of deliberate Jewish persecution:

By the fourth century, under Constantine and the Christianized Roman emperors who followed, an undeniable contradiction emerged within the empire that now claimed to serve the God of the Bible. Though professing the name of Christ, these rulers enacted policies directly opposed to the covenant purposes of the God they claimed to worship. Jews were forbidden to hold public office, to build synagogues, or even to proselytize. In other words, the visible testimony of God’s covenant people was deliberately suppressed.

This suppression was not accidental. The Church Fathers of this period; men such as John Chrysostom; preached virulent antisemitism. Chrysostom famously denounced synagogues as “dens of vice” and called for their destruction. The spiritual seed of Replacement Theology, which declared that the Church had superseded Israel in God’s plan, produced bitter fruit in policies of coercion and persecution.

Across medieval Europe, Jewish communities faced forced conversions, confiscation of property, and segregation into ghettos. The myth of the “blood libel”; the slander that Jews used Christian blood in their rituals; was propagated by church authorities and led to horrific violence. Well-poisoning accusations, especially during times of plague, further inflamed mobs against Jewish populations, resulting in waves of pogroms and thousands of Jewish deaths.

In Spain, the infamous Inquisition targeted Jewish converts; conversos; with the goal of eradicating all traces of Jewish identity. Public professions of Christianity were not enough; the Inquisition sought to purge Jewish bloodlines and Jewish memory itself from Christian society.

Even in the modern era, the shadow of this theological and cultural poison remained. Nazi ideology, though openly secular and neopagan, drew heavily on medieval antisemitic tropes inherited from centuries of Christian Europe. The Holocaust; the most systematic attempt to annihilate the Jewish people in history; did not arise in a vacuum. It was the ghastly culmination of a long tradition of church-sanctioned hatred.

If Rome had truly worshiped the God of the Bible, such a pattern would be inexplicable. For the God of Israel is a covenant-keeping God; His promises to Israel are irrevocable (Romans 11:29), and His name is bound to their preservation. Yet what we see instead is that Rome sought to usurp His throne; to transfer the covenantal identity of Israel to itself through Replacement Theology. This was not the worship of the true God, but a spiritual rebellion cloaked in Christian language. The imperial ambition of Rome required that Israel; the living proof of God's faithfulness; be erased or silenced.

Israel stood as an enduring witness that God’s covenant remained intact and that no human institution; not even the mighty Roman Church; could rewrite His promises. Thus, antisemitism became more than social prejudice; it became a theological necessity for a church that claimed to have supplanted Israel. In this light, we see the true spirit animating these atrocities: not the Spirit of Christ, but the spirit of antichrist, which opposes God’s purposes and exalts human power in His place.

This is why Replacement Theology is not only biblically false but spiritually dangerous. It is an assault on the very character of God as a covenant-keeping God. It is an assault on His prophetic word, which declares that “all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26), that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29), and that Israel’s future restoration is central to His redemptive plan (Jeremiah 31:35–37). To erase Israel from this plan is to claim that God Himself can break His word—and thereby to enthrone human institutions in His place.

This is why antisemitism has followed so closely behind the rise of false religious power. The testimony of Israel is a living contradiction to every empire, church, or movement that seeks to make itself the new Israel. As long as the Jewish people endure; as Scripture promised they would; no claim of replacement can stand unchallenged. And that is precisely why Rome, both imperial and ecclesiastical, has warred against them. The true God could not be worshipped in Spirit and in truth while His covenant people were being systematically erased; the very attempt reveals that those who did so were not worshipping Him, but usurping His throne.

Yet the prophetic word remains unbroken. In our own generation, we are witnessing the unfolding of end-time prophecy. The true Church must stand apart from the sins of Rome, past and present. It must reject Replacement Theology in all its forms and embrace the full counsel of God’s Word concerning Israel’s ongoing role in His purposes.

For it is not Rome, nor any human church, that is the center of God’s redemptive plan; it is Christ Himself, and the covenant He confirmed to the fathers of Israel, in which believing Gentiles have been graciously grafted in (Romans 11:17–24). The true Church does not replace Israel; it joins the redeemed remnant of Israel in the one new man that God is creating in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:14–16).

To deny this is to repeat the rebellion of Rome. To embrace it is to walk in step with the promises of God and to prepare for the soon-coming fulfillment of all things when Israel will look upon the One they have pierced (Zechariah 12:10) and all nations will come to worship the true King in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:16).

Let the Church therefore repent of this legacy, return to the Scriptures, and proclaim with boldness: “Has God cast away His people? God forbid!” (Romans 11:1).