The translation you are using here wrests the Greek of this statement. What the Greek text og Galatians 6:16 actually says is: "And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God." Galatians 6:16 The second and in this verse is plainly there in the Greek text, as the Greek word "kai," which occurs twice in the Greek text of this sentence.
the word "and" (kai) before the words "the Israel of God," plainly differentiates "the Israel of God" from "as many as walk according to this rule." So this scripture is actually saying the very opposite of what you imaine it says. It is making "the Israel of God" a different group from "as many as walk according to this rule."
So, not only does the term "spiritual Israel" not occur anywhere in the entire Bible, neither is that concept taught in the Bible
Galatians 6:15-16 states,
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on [Gr.
epi]
them, and mercy, even on [Gr.
kai epi]
the Israel of God.”
You attempt to create two peoples of God in this reading, despite the fact that Paul’s whole import in this reading is that there is only one harmonious people of God. Dispensationalists make much of the words
“and upon” (
kai epi) and present this as proof that there is a distinction among God’s people. However, this flimsy argument is quickly nullified by (1) looking at the whole trust of Paul’s argument, (2) taking a closer look at the original Greek and (3) exploring similar usages of the Greek phrase in Scripture.
First of all, the Greek language scholar will know:
kai has both a copulative and a cumulative force. The Greek word
kai can be translated “and” or “even.”
Copulative refers to the joining together of coordinate words or word groups and expressing addition of their meanings. Cumulative refers to a snowballing effect. It means increasing by successive additions. It is formed by the addition of new material of the same kind. The best way to illustrate this is that the word can be equally translated as “and” or “even.”
This Greek coupling
kai epi is found together in a couple of other places in the New Testament. It is always helpful to compare similar or identical usages elsewhere in Scripture. This gives us a greater sense of meaning. Significantly, in these cases rather than suggesting a distinction in factions they actually show an enlargement of detail relating to the exact same subject matter. The coupling together of these words simply adds greater depth or more information to what has already been outlined. In each NT case, it is used in a cumulative sense. The second noun basically adds emphasis or further data to the first. It is therefore acceptable to interpret the same as
“even on.”
An example of this is found in Christ’s words in Matthew 21:5, which similarly reads,
“Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon [Gr.
epi]
an ass, and [Gr.
kai epi]
a colt the foal of an ass.”
The same idea is presented here (surrounded by the exact same key Greek words) as Galatians 6:16:
epi ... kai epi (“on ... even on”). No one would be as naïve as to argue that the “ass” and the “colt” mentioned above are two different beasts. No, it is obvious that this is speaking of the one same animal. It literally reads, “
on an ass,
even on a colt the foal of an ass.” The “even on” simply adds further detail upon the description already given on the matter. In this case, not only is it an ass, but it is “a colt the foal of an ass.” This verse assists us in our understanding of Galatians 6:16, and illustrates the real import of this much-debated text.
The same formation of Greek words is found in the same sequence, in order to present the same idea in Revelation 14:6, which reads,
“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto [Gr.
epi]
them that dwell on the earth, and [Gr.
kai epi]
to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”
No sensible Bible student would suggest that that there are two different companies in view in this reading. Even though the word
kai is translated “and” (like Galatians 6:16) in the KJV, it doesn’t negate the fact that those that are said to “dwell on the earth” are in fact those of “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”
The Greek words
kai epi are simply used here to broaden the information already given about the singular subject in view. They are not therefore two distinct peoples, they are the same. We see the exact same pattern as we have in Matthew 21:5: “unto ... even on” (
epi ... kai epi). This passage simply states, “
unto them that dwell on the earth,
even on every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”
Galatians 6:16 therefore agrees with these other two passages. The construction of the passage in the original Greek leads us to the obvious conclusion that we are looking at one unitary people. It is important we acknowledge the sequence of the words – “on ... even on” (or
epi ... kai epi). Just like Matthew 21:5 and Revelation 14:6, the 2 mentions connect together and refer to the same subject matter. There can be no doubt: the phrase “the Israel of God” is carefully and deliberately related to all those who have experienced the new birth (who are the focus of this passage). This serves to add description to the regenerate.
Christopher W. Cowan explains: “[Kermit] Titrud cites the linguistic principle of ‘maximum redundancy’ – that is, ‘the best meaning is the least meaning’. In other words, the correct meaning is usually the one that ‘contributes the least new information to the total context’ … To say that Paul intends the phrase to mean all believers, Jew and Gentile, is consistent with the letter and adds the least new information to the context” (Context Is Everything: “The Israel of God” in Galatians 6:16).
Cowan adds: “As the saying goes, ‘context is everything’, and context is the decisive factor in understanding Paul's meaning here. Having contended for the unity of Jews and Gentiles in Christ throughout his letter, now at the conclusion Paul identifies the church, those who conform to the new creation in Christ, as the true Israel … To make a distinction between Jews and Gentiles here at the end of the letter would appear to counteract Paul’s entire preceding argument!” (Context Is Everything: “The Israel of God” in Galatians 6:16).
Anthony A. Hoekema challenges the Dispensational position: “The problem with this interpretation is that believing Jews have already been included in the words ‘all who follow this rule’. The word
kai, therefore, should here be rendered ‘even’ … When the passages is so understood, ‘the Israel of God’ is a further description of ‘all who follow this rule’ – that is, of all true believers, including both Jews and Gentiles who constitute the New Testament church. Here, in other words, Paul clearly identifies the church as the true Israel” (The Bible and the Future).
