So, apparently The Church Is Israel
Interesting
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
And If You Are Christ’s, Then You Are Abraham’s Seed, And Heirs According To The Promise.”
- Galatians 3:28-29
A common belief in some American Evangelical circles (not all) is that the nation state of Israel is the Israel spoken about in the Bible, these are the “true Israelites” so therefore it must be supported at all costs, etc.
theuncreatedlight.substack.com
the Church are Co-heirs but there is still a distinct Israel that is not the Church
Romans 11
1 I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying,
3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.
This first part addresses this idea of whether God is done with Israel or not, to which Paul says no, first off, the Apostles are Jews, so there's a remnant within the Church.
but that's not all as he continues
7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear
unto this day.
9 And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:
10 Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway.
11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
Paul addresses that Israel has not obtained what was promised by God yet, aside from that remnant that started the Church. Paul then asks why did God do this, giving them a spirit of slumber, and blinding them, and it was to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles, for the purpose of provoking Israel to jealousy, so they'd see that God is now giving favor to gentiles, and they'd stop being stubborn and figure out WHY the gentiles have favor and they do not.
and then Paul goes into what would happen when the fullness of Israel gets saved.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:
14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?
It'd be a great blessing, and magnify God
now Paul goes into an analogy, using an Olive tree as an illustration
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
So let's think about the meaning of this Illustration.
The root of the tree is Jesus, the root bears the branches which are individual people bound to the root. Israel, the "natural branches" had some of them broken off out of unbelief, and "wild" branches, the gentiles were attached to the root. Note it's not a replacement, Jesus has always been the root, we're merely branches supported by the root. We are added in to an already existing tree, not a new separate tree, nor a replacement. We're added in. Paul also adds that the broken off branches can also be added back in, and admonishes people who would say we "replace" Israel because if we abandon the faith we can be broken off too.
which is a tangent on the subject of OSAS: Yes, you cannot be taken away from the faith by an outside force, but you can go apostate, and abandon the faith. It's not "did you at one time believe Jesus was who He said He was and died on the cross for your sin and has Risen" it's "do you believe.." it's an ongoing faith. If you stop believing your branch can be broken off.
Finally Paul drops the Illustration and says that God still has a plan for the Jews
25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
God used the falling away of Israel to bring the Gentiles to faith, and save them. When He's saved the Gentiles, He'll remove Israel's blindness, and there are things showing that such as Zechariah 12:10. God miraculously saves the House of David and inhabitants of Jerusalem who pierced Him (which is not the Gentile Church). It'll be miraculous and bring God glory especially among people in the Church who right now, hate Jews and see the Church as replacing Jews. God will humble them with what He does.
Paul then finishes in doxology, to express just how wise this plan of God's is
33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
So the Church does not replace Israel
nor are the Church and Israel wholly separate, as dispensationalists will claim.
We're grafted into Israel, but there's still a plan for natural Israel.
