In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s No Rusty Swords, we find his 1933 foundational essay, “The Church and the Jewish Question.”  Bonhoeffer’s opening statements are quotations from Martin Luther concerning the Gentile Christian’s approach to the Jewish people.  Among the quotations are…

Luther 1523: ‘If the Apostles, who were Jews, had dealt with us Gentiles as we Gentiles with the Jews, there would have been no Christians among the Gentiles.  But seeing that they have acted in such a brotherly way towards us, we in turn should act in a brotherly way toward the Jews in case we might convert some.  For we ourselves are still not yet fully their equals, much less their superiors…But now we use force against them…what good will we do with that?

Similarly, how will we benefit them by forbidding them to live and work and have other human fellowship with us, thus driving them to practice usury?’ (221-222).