The The Antioch Declaration (TAD) struck me like a plow hitting a hard stone buried deep in the soil. There’s something heavy here—something that speaks to why people follow so blindly, like sheep trotting after the shepherd without knowing the path. So, I’m going to try to lay this out simply. My approach is straightforward: I’ll explain each part twice to two imaginary dummies, first for the younger, whose understanding is still growing, and then for the older, who may grasp subtler nuances. My translations aren’t endorsements, but rather attempts to build a bridge of understanding. I’ll pull pieces of the declaration, answer them, and then break them down. This process, like all meaningful conversations, will unfold slowly, over a few days, so that we can stand a little straighter and think a little deeper for ourselves. God help us find clarity. Lord knows, we’ll need His help to do that.
The church stood silent, its walls thick and sturdy, sheltering something no one dared to name. The greatest wrong in our time, tied up in its very soul, wasn’t confronted or even whispered about. Instead, it lay buried deep, safe and shielded by a fortress of endless affirmations and denials, each brick in that wall placed with care. I couldn’t help but wonder how long the silence could hold before the truth burst through.
Here we go.
Sections
I have reviewed all the sections of this declaration. You may click on the link to jump to that section.
| Declaration | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Preamble, 1-2 | 11/27/24 | Completed |
| 3-7 | 11/29/24 | Completed |
| 8-10 | 11/30/24 | Completed |
| 11-14 | 12/04/24 | Completed |
| 15-17 | 12/06/24 | Completed |
| 18-19 | 12/12/24 | Completed |
| 20-21 | 12/14/24 | Completed |
| 22 | 12/17/24 | Completed |
| 23 | 12/19/24 | Completed |
| 24 | 12/23/24 | Completed |
| 25 | 12/25/24 | in progress |
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WE AFFIRM that in deeply unsettled times there is a carnal desire in fallen man to seek out a scapegoat for sin and social corruption. This sadistic urge seeks to expiate guilt by laying the blame and punishment for all cultural ills on an identifiable group(s). The victimized group(s) is offered up to the masses as providing ostensible ‘explanatory power’ for cultural decay, which all conspiracy theories must provide if they are to gain any traction. The Jews have often been the easiest target for this kind of sinful and decrepit thinking. |
☐ Agree ☒ Disagree ☐ Uncertain Comment:
Although I agree that blaming others for one’s own faults is sinful, the authors introduce a race (the Jews) that they think “have often been the easiest target for this kind of sinful and decrepit thinking.” With that I disagree.
Why was it, I wonder, that God chose the days of the Roman Republic to send the Savior? Why not when Israel was a sovereign kingdom, standing alone in its independence? The choice feels significant, as though history itself was shaping the stage for something far greater than anyone could have imagined.
A comparison of the two kingdoms is revealing, but beyond the scope of this post. The Old Testament itself shows a pattern of behavior regarding this people that might answer this question sufficiently.
Exodus 32:9 The Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people.
Deuteronomy 9:13 “The Lord spoke further to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed, it is a stubborn people.
It wasn’t just God who noticed. Moses noticed it too. Without a doubt, he saw the path they were on.
Deuteronomy 31:27 “For I [Moses] know your rebellion and your stubbornness; behold, while I am still alive with you today, you have been rebellious against the Lord; how much more, then, after my death?
Fast forward many years later. Had they changed? No. Here is God’s description of them then.
Ezekiel 2:4 “I am sending you to them who are stubborn and obstinate children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’
Fast forward again, to the time of the New Testament. Read Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 which portrays the Israelites as stubborn, disobedient, resistant to God’s messengers, and guilty of rejecting and killing the Messiah.
Remember, it was at this time that Jesus had to forcefully remove the moneychangers from the Temple, not once but two or three times! Where do you think they went after He left?
Read Acts; who antagonized the church the most, the host country (White Europeans) or the Jews? Jesus and Paul could travel freely around the Roman Republic, but at home, who was the constant threat?
John 7:1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
Study the Gospel of John; 3 out of every 5 occurrences of the term “the Jews” is negative. John knew what they were like and did not fail to bring that to light.
Now, all of this does not mean that every single Jew on the planet was out to kill Jesus, but it DOES MEAN that “the Jews” were stubborn, disobedient, resistant to God’s messengers, and guilty of rejecting and killing the Messiah. As a group, as a nation, particularly the leaders of that nation, they were problematic. Are we supposed to ignore what God put in our Bible to pay attention too?
Why did God have to command His people how to live in foreign lands?
Jeremiah 29:7-8 ‘Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare.’ “For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Do not let your prophets who are in your midst and your diviners deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams which they dream.
Does Jeremiah call attention to the character of this people?
Jeremiah 13:23 “Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil.
The pattern of “the Jews” explains why God waited until the Roman Republic. He waited until government matured and was in the hands of those that could wield it skillfully. The White man can be proud of his heritage and accomplishments. God recognized them. The White man should also remember that to whom much is given, much will be required. A review of history would reveal that for the most part, but not in every part, the White man understood that.
Do you remember in Genesis 4 the three descendants of Cain? Three families with different gifts that form a degree of interdependence in the progress of civilization.
Genesis 4:19-22 Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. As for Zillah, she also gave birth to Tubal-cain, the forger of all implements of bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
What gift does your family bring to the table?
We are not all equal. Like a basketball team composed of people of different heights, there are different positions for each player. To have the center play guard because we are all equal would destroy the strength of the team. There is only one race that encourages this value. The Jews, more than any other, want us to believe everyone is equal.
Rep. Thomas Abernathy read this passage into the Congressional Record on June 7, 1957 (Vol. 103, p. 8559, top of page.)
So, what is it that I don’t agree with in this declaration? I disagree with the idea that it’s a sin to see what’s wrong in a people and say it. The Jews do evil, and it deserves to be called out. That’s all there is to it. How can one bless Israel, if they do not call Israel to repentance? How can one call Israel to repentance without reference what Israel does? It is wrong to say it is wrong to speak against Israel. (see Amos 7:14-17).
Now, here is my translation of this declaration.
INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION
To The Younger
Sometimes when things are going wrong in the world or in a society, people want to find someone to blame. They look for a group of people who they can say are causing all the problems, even if it’s not true. This is called finding a “scapegoat.”
The statement is saying that this is a bad thing to do, and it’s something that people who don’t follow God often do. They want to make themselves feel better by blaming someone else for everything that’s going wrong.
One group of people who have often been blamed for things they didn’t do is the Jews. People have said that the Jews are the reason for all sorts of problems, even though it’s not true.
The statement is saying that this is a bad and wrong thing to do. We shouldn’t blame innocent people for problems that they didn’t cause, just because we want someone to blame.
Instead, we should look at what the Bible says and try to do what’s right, even when things are difficult or scary. We should remember that God is in control and that He wants us to love and care for others, not to blame them for things they didn’t do.
To The Older
The authors are saying that when people are worried or upset about problems in society, they sometimes look for someone to blame. They might choose a group of people, like the Jews, and say that they are the reason for all the bad things happening. The author believes that this is a wrong and hurtful way to think, and that instead, we should look to Jesus and His teachings for guidance on how to fix problems in the world.
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WE DENY that scapegoating is a legitimate practice for Christians to participate in because God has already provided the final and perfect scapegoat in Christ Jesus who alone is the true sin-bearer. |
☒ Agree ☐ Disagree ☐ Uncertain Comment:
I agree. If it is wrong for Christians, then is it wrong for everyone else? Non-Whites need to understand that God has provided the final and perfect scapegoat, and they don’t need to blame Whites. But, who will tell them?
Here is my translation of this declaration.
INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION
To The Younger
In the Bible, there’s a story about a special animal called a “scapegoat.” The scapegoat was used to take away the sins of the people by having all the sins put on it and then sending it away into the wilderness.
The statement is saying that Christians should not try to find other people to blame for their problems or the problems of society, because Jesus is the perfect scapegoat. He took away all the sins of the world by dying on the cross.
So, instead of blaming other people for things that go wrong, Christians should remember that Jesus has already taken care of the problem of sin. They should trust in Him and try to do what’s right, even when things are difficult.
In other words, Christians should not act like people who don’t believe in God and try to find someone else to blame for their problems. They should remember that Jesus is the answer to the problem of sin, and they should follow Him and do what He says.
To The Older
The authors are saying that people who follow Jesus shouldn’t blame other people or groups for their problems or mistakes. Instead, they should remember that Jesus took all the blame and punishment for sin when He died on the cross. The author believes that following Jesus means treating others with love and kindness, not blaming them for things that aren’t their fault.
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WE DENY that our rejection of antisemitism requires us to ignore or minimize the destructive impact that various God-hating individual Jews have had in human history, just as our rejection of the hatred of Europeans and Anglo-Saxons does not require us to ignore the cultural devastation that many God-hating individual Gentiles have produced. Every ethnic people have members to be ashamed of, and every ethnic people have members to be grateful for. |
☒ Agree ☐ Disagree ☐ Uncertain Comment:
I agree.
It’s striking how God sent Isaiah to speak to the hearts of individuals, yet He did it by addressing the whole ethnic group. The vision Isaiah saw wasn’t just about one person—it was about a city, a nation, a shared life. Isaiah’s words cut through Judah and Jerusalem like a plow turning over dry earth, exposing what lay beneath.
Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
It’s like a basketball coach yelling at the team after a loss—every player feels the sting because they’re part of the whole. If we don’t understand this, we miss how evil works quietly, spreading like weeds until it’s choking us all. We must not shy away from speaking to any ethnic group for fear of being called racist. Let God be our example here and confront evil wherever it is found and at whatever level it is found. We must not stand with the Amaziahs of the world, but oppose them.
Amos 7:16 Now hear the word of the Lord: you [Amaziah, the priest of Bethel] are saying, ‘You shall not prophesy against Israel nor shall you speak against the house of Isaac.’
When they tell us to be silent, we must climb to the top of the house and shout!
Matthew 10:26-27 Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.
INTERPRETATION and EXPLANATION
To The Younger
Sometimes people don’t like other people because of their race or where they come from. This is called hatred, and it’s not a good thing. The Bible says that we should love and respect everyone, no matter what race they are or where they come from.
The statement is saying that even though we should not hate Jewish people or any other group of people, that doesn’t mean we have to pretend that everyone from that group is perfect. There have been some Jewish people in history who have done bad things, just like there have been people from other groups who have done bad things.
So, we can still talk about the bad things that some people have done, even if they’re part of a group that we shouldn’t hate. We don’t have to ignore or pretend like those bad things didn’t happen.
At the same time, we can also talk about the good things that people from every group have done. Every group of people has some members who have done things to be proud of and grateful for.
So, the statement is saying that we can reject hatred and still be honest about history. We can talk about the bad things that some people have done without hating their whole group, and we can also talk about the good things that people from every group have done.
To The Older
The authors are saying that even though we shouldn’t hate or blame entire groups of people, like Jews or Europeans, we can still recognize that some individuals from these groups have done bad things in history. The author believes that we should judge people by their actions and choices, not by what group they belong to. They also remind us that every group has both good and bad people, and we should be grateful for the good ones.
Sections
I have reviewed all the sections of this declaration. You may click on the link to jump to that section.