A104 : by Tony Garland
Regarding your first question, I would say that “no” we are not “part of
Israel” as gentile Christians. Both Jewish and Gentile Christians today make
up the “Church” the “body of Christ” or “one new man” which Paul discusses in
Ephesians 2. We, as Gentiles, were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and
strangers from the covenants of promise (Eph. 2:12), but now we have been
brought near through Christ. But notice that we are not said to be “part of
Israel” or a “new Israel.” Instead, both Jews and Gentiles are said to be
joined into a new spiritual body, the one new man (Eph. 2:15). Another
evidence that we are not “part of Israel” is found by carefully examining
Paul's use of the term “Israel” in Romans 9-11, and especially chapter 11.
There, it will be found that “Israel” still refers to Jews. Especially note
the following in chapter 11:
-
Gentiles are continually being saved, whereas Israel has been blinded in part (Rom. 11:25).
-
Paul distinguishes between the “fullness of Gentiles” that are grafted in the process
of being saved vs. “all Israel” which will be saved yet future (Rom.
11:26).
-
Paul says that “Israel,” concerning the gospel, are enemies, but concerning
the fathers they are beloved (Rom. 11:28). If Gentile believers are “part of
Israel,” how can Israel be enemies of the gospel? Clearly, Paul uses the term
“Israel” consistently to always describe Jews: either unbelieving Jews (as
here) or Jewish believers (Rom. 9:6 cf. Gal. 6:16).
Notice that Paul knows nothing of the imprecise New Testament
interpretation so prevalent in our time which applies the term “Israel” to
Gentile believers. In different passages, Paul distinguishes several
categories, all involving those of Jewish descent from the man Jacob (who is
Israel):
-
Believing Jews, the “Israel of God,” the true Jews (Rom. 2:28-29) who are
Jewish by physical descent and trust in Christ.
-
Unbelieving Jews (Israel in Romans 11), the “synagogue of Satan” (Rev.
2:9; 3:9) who are not considered to be true Jews (Rom. 2:28-29). They are
physical descendants of the man Israel (“of Israel” but not considered to be
true Israel in that they lack faith. They are “of Israel,” but “not Israel”
because they lack the faith of Father Abraham (Rom. 9:6). In limited
contexts, to make a point, they are said to not be “Israel” or “Jews” in the
sense that they failed to accept Messiah Jesus and have rejected the faith.
-
The Church, the “one new man” (Eph. 2), the “body of Christ” (1Cor. 12:13)
made up of both Gentile believers and the Israel of God--believing Jews.
Here, believing Gentiles and Jews are grouped on an absolutely equal basis.
Careful interpretation will show that the term “Israel” is never used of
this group, even though “true Israel” the “true Jews” (having faith) are
incorporated into this group along with believing Gentiles.
What can be confusing is that although believing Gentiles are considered to be
“sons of Abraham” by faith (Gal. 3:7,29; Php. 3:3), they are never called
“Israel.” A distinction is made between being blessed as part of the Abrahamic
covenant--rooted in the promises to Abraham--which included blessings for “all
the families of the earth” (wherein Gentile believers are found) and blessings
for the physical descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob/Israel--the
Jews. In an analogous way to the way that Ishmaelites and Edomites are “sons
of Abraham” physically, but not Israel, believers are spiritual sons of
Abraham, but not Israel.
Robert Saucy puts it well:
“Abraham's seed,” therefore, is not necessarily equivalent of a Jew or a
member of the people of Israel. God's promise to Abraham encompassed both “a
great nation” and “all peoples on earth” (Ge 12:2-3). Both of these groups,
therefore, share the fulfillment of that promise in the salvation of God
without being merged into each other. It is significant that when the
fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise is related to the Gentiles, it is
specifically this statement about “all nations,” not any reference to the
“great nation” or Israel, that the apostle uses as OT support (Gal. 3:8). Again,
there is sharing, but not identity. . .
-- Robert L. Saucy, Israel and the Church: A Case for Discontinuity
in John S. Feinberg, ed.,
Continuity And Discontinuitya (Westchester, IL: Crossway Books, 1988), p. 254.
For additional clarity on this, I suggest listening to my
course on Romans 9-11b,
especially chapter 11 which shows the important distinction between the olive
tree rooted in the promises to the fathers (e.g., the Abrahamic covenant), the
natural branches (Jews) and the wild branches (Gentiles). Some of the natural
branches (unbelieving Jews) are broken off from the olive tree and wild
branches (Gentile believers) are in. Notice that the wild branches are not
grafted into the natural branches which remain in the tree (Gentiles are not
joined 'into' Israel). They are grafted into the root--that which produced and
nourished the natural branches (the promises). A failure to appreciate this
distinction leads to confusion because it leads to confusing Gentile believers
with Israel and requires inconsistent exegesis of passages like the end of
Romans 11 where Israel very clearly means non-believing Jews. (A common
interpretive error made in regard to the olive tree illustration of Paul
is taking the “root” to be Israel. But notice that that natural branches which
remain--Jewish believers--are nourished by the root. The natural branches which remain are
the true Israel and are not nourished in
Israel (a logical impossibility) but in the root which consists of the promises
made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)
Regarding your second question,
“Do any of the promises made to Israel as a nation apply to us, for example Deuteronomy 28 . . .”
While there are principles in Deu. 28 which apply in general (e.g., God will
bless a nation which is devoted to Him and follows His will, He will turn away
from a nation--such as ours--which forsakes Him), the context of the passage is
very clearly specific to the nation Israel. It includes curses which make
absolutely no sense when applied to Gentiles (believers or otherwise).
For example, the promise of worldwide scattering in judgment of disbelief:
yet Gentiles (non-Jews) have always been scattered all over the world.
Whereas all scripture is written for our learning (Rom. 15:4), it is
not all written specifically to us--and this is the case in
Deuteronomy 28. Both the blessings and curses stated there apply to Israel, as
the phrase “wandering Jew” and history abundantly prove.
Concerning the blessings which come to believing Gentiles, this is best
understood by studying the relationship between the New Covenant (given to
Israel in Jeremiah 31) and the Church. I can suggest several excellent online
resources on this which illuminate some of the subtleties involved:
May God bless you as you seek to properly understand and apply the distinctions
which are made in Scripture in relation to God's continuing purpose for Israel
and the Church.
Links Mentioned Above
a - See http://www.bestbookdeal.com/book/compare/0-89107-468-6.
b - See http://www.spiritandtruth.org/teaching/11.htm.
c - See http://www.spiritandtruth.org/id/articles.htm#12.
d - See http://www.dbts.edu/journals/2003/Compton.pdf.
|
