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“Samuel Holdheim, the first Rabbi of the Reform congregation in Berlin wrote in 1845 that divine law is given only for a particular time and place:
‘A law, even though divine, is potent only so long as the conditions and circumstance of life to meet which it was enacted, continue; when these change, however, the law must be abrogated, even though it have God as its author. For God Himself has shown indubitably that with the change of the circumstances and conditions of life for which He once gave those laws, the laws themselves cease to be operative, that they shall be observed no longer because they can be observed no longer.’
The Pittsburgh Platform adopted by the Reform movement in its early days in the United States is forthright in its attempt to strip ethnicity from theology. Referring to Orthodox Judaism, the platform proclaimed:
‘Today we accept as binding only its moral laws and maintain only such ceremonials as elevate and sanctify our lives, but reject all such as are not adapted to the views and habits of modern civilization.
We hold that all such Mosaic and Rabbinical laws as regulated diet, priestly purity, and dress originated in ages under the influence of ideas altogether foreign to our present mental and spiritual state.
We recognize Judaism as a progressive religions, ever striving to be in accord with the postulates of reason.'”
The Rise of Christianity – p. 53
R2K thinking uses the same reasoning that Reformed Judaism used back in 1845 to break away from Orthodox Judaism. They relativized the OT by saying it no longer applied since times had changed. Van Drunen took the same idea and said that with the New Testament the time had changed and the revelation of the OT, pertaining to the civil/judicial law, was no longer valid and so not to be enforced.
So, what we have discovered here is that R2K is Reformed Judaism for the Christian faith. Just as Reformed Judaism was a progressive move for Jews so R2K is a progressive move for the Christian faith. Just as Reformed Judaism was a break from historic Orthodox Judaism so R2K is a break from historic Biblical Christianity.
Now, given that Meredith Kline is the foundation for David Van Drunen and given Meredith Kline’s Jewish connection as a boy one wonders if R2K has Reformed Judaism roots?
But that’s not all. In the same document quoted from above we find;
“We consider ourselves no longer a nation but a religious community.”
This likewise is a R2K sentiment. R2K does not believe that it is possible for a nation to be Christian. R2K, like Reformed Judaism insists that Christianity is only a religious community and nothing else.
Wow!!